All This And Heaven, Too
by Alex Beckett
Summary: "That's the name she gave herself after her falling out with her kind. I want you to say her actual name, the one she had when she was with you."
1. Night Walks

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anybody except for what or whom I think up.**

**Also: this one is for LokisSpy, whose enthusiasm inspires me and whose friendship warms my heart :)**

* * *

It was dusk in Storybrooke and while most people were closing down their shops for the day and heading to the local diner for a meal, a woman and her little girl, were out in the forest on a walk.

"Jolie, my sweet, what is this?"

The mother was crouching down and holding up a small daisy for her daughter's inspection. Jolie, who was all of two years old and fascinated by the world around her, stopped to study the flower, all but probing it with her big blue eyes for a few moments before she answered.

"Flower?" she tried, speaking a clipped French accent like her mother's. "A dizzy?"

"Close enough." Her mother tucked the daisy behind her ear. "You look so pretty with that flower."

Jolie giggled and blew her mother a kiss. "Merci, maman."

"Do you want to keep walking?"

Fighting back a yawn, the little one nodded and reached for her mother's hand when it was offered. They continued on their stroll for a few more minutes, just enjoying each other and the evening gloom, for that was always their favorite time.

Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.

"You hear that, Jolie?"

The little girl mimicked a howling wolf.

"That's right—Ruby is out tonight, running through the woods, no doubt."

"Oooo…"

"Even in this world, if you show kindness and love the animals, they will protect you."

Jolie understood what she was being told, but she was too tired to answer and as a result, when she took a step towards her mother, she accidentally tripped over a loose rock in her way and fell flat on her face, proceeding to slide a few inches. Frightened and covered in mud, Jolie sat up and burst into tears.

Her mother pulled her to her feet and started to comfort her but suddenly froze, hearing something or someone a little further down the path. She didn't even have to see who it was to recognize that all too familiar swagger.

"No, no, no…"

Jolie fed off the nervousness. "Maman, why sad eyes?"

The footsteps grew closer and the fear was increased. She hadn't seen this man in thirty years, but that didn't stop her from grazing a hand over her lower back where some old scars lay hidden by her clothes.

Doing everything she could to not upset her daughter further, the woman gave the toddler a nudge.

"Go hide!"

Jolie stomped her foot and crossed her arms in defiance.

"No!"

"It'll just like playing hide-and-go-seek!"

"NO!"

Before further attempts of persuasion were made, Jolie's mother turned to face the bigger problem at hand: her husband, the man that she had purposefully escaped from all those years ago in Avonlea, the man that she had gone to great lengths to avoid in Storybrooke.

In the blink of an eye, they were face to face and in the evening light, he looked intimidating.

"Maurice…"

It was indeed Maurice French, although she remembered him more as King Maurice, her husband, ruler of Avonlea, father of their daughters… and also as the man who sometimes beat because she was never able to give him a son to rule the throne.

Maurice was her worst nightmare.

And he had somehow found her.

"There you are, love. You have some explaining to do."

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you at all!"

"Oh, really? Well, where were you during the curse years or even when it broke? Why did it take for me having to see you pass by me in the market this morning to find out that you're even still alive? We're still married, you know, despite all the running and hiding you've been up to!"

He glimpsed at Jolie, who was beginning to soil her pants in reaction to the sudden hostility.

"And whose child is that?" snarled Maurice to his wife. "Who did you sl—"

_SLAP!_

The woman struck Maurice clean across the cheek.

"She is yours, believe it or not because I was pregnant when I left! My magic combined with that curse put things on hold for a bit until the Savior arrived! I was fully aware that the Savior's return was 'waking' Regina up, and that sort of 'rebooted' my magic, allowing me to go through a normal pregnancy!"

"I don't believe you."

"I speak nothing but the truth."

"Is that so? Then answer this—does Belle know that you're back? Have you seen her?"

"No and no, but—JOLIE, STOP! COME BACK!"

In a fit of two-year-old rage, the little girl had run forward towards the big scary man, fists waving. She never got hold of her target because a large cloud of pink smoke ensconced her little body, and when it cleared, her parents were nowhere in sight, but she was, however, nose-to-nose with a big wolf.

Most small children would turn and run in fright at the sight of such a fierce animal, but not Jolie. She was too tired and confused to be afraid. Reaching out with one of her little hands, she let the creature sniff her and she giggled when it licked her fingers happily.

"Wooby?"

For the second time in a night, Jolie mimicked a howling wolf and flattered by the attempt, Ruby licked Jolie's fingers again. Jolie pat Ruby's back absently.

"Me sad…"

Taking pity on the child and not caring that she was filthy, Ruby lowered herself close enough to the ground so that Jolie could climb onto her back. When Ruby was positive that Jolie was holding on tightly, she set off towards town at a slow pace.

There was only one person that Ruby could think to bring the child to.

* * *

Emma Swan wasn't having a very good day.

Following the return from Neverland, it was business as usual in Storybrooke and things were going nicely. At the end of the day, she'd go home and fall on her bed—sometimes fully clothed—and be dead to the world the second her head hit her pillow. Then there were days when she'd just crash with Neal in his room at the bed and breakfast, happy to feel his arms around her and a warm body next hers.

Despite that, she'd been a little out of it as of late.

The first warning was that Emma has begun craving tacos and sometimes taco salad for almost every meal. She ignored that.

The second sign was that both Mulan and Aurora—who had travelled back with them after the quest for reasons they weren't sharing—were both equally taken aback by their friend's abrupt change in her nature from her usual self to extremely cheerful.

Emma chose to ignore their wariness, but then the god-awful nausea and vomiting began and there was no denying it any longer, especially since she'd gone through it before.

She was pregnant with Neal's child.

Things went south when she told him and she spent the rest of the day in bed, only getting up to eat or use the bathroom.

Currently, she was thankful that nobody was demanding her attention, and that her parents had taken Henry out to Granny's diner to celebrate his good grades at school. Imagine her confusion when she heard a noise at the front door but didn't see anyone when she opened it.

"Hello?"

A nudge at her knees caused her to look down and gasp. Ruby was there, as a wolf… with an extremely weary and filthy toddler at her side? What?

"Ruby, I don't even want to know how you got all the way in the building like that."

Emma changed her tone to a kind and gentle one as she crouched down in front of the wolf's companion.

"Hey, kid—what's your name?"

"J-Jolie."

Her words came out in a yawn and she tipped slightly to the side, but Ruby braced herself and acted as a wall of support for the little one.

Blocking the awful stench rolling off Jolie, Emma continued speaking to her. "I'm Emma, one of Ruby's friends. Can you say Emma?"

"E-Em… Emma?"

"Very good! Where's your mom?"

"Sleepin'…"

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Your dad, too?"

Jolie just wrinkled her nose. "Me stinky."

"That's for sure. Let's go get you cleaned up."

"Kay…"

Emma held Jolie out at arm's length, so as not to get any part of herself dirty and when they headed towards the stairs, Jolie let out a sudden squawk of alarm that almost made Emma drop her.

"What was that for?" Emma complained.

"Wooby!" she turned towards the wolf, standing a few feet away, watching hopefully. "Wooby, Wooby! Awooo!"

"Okay, Ruby can come, too."

The wolf made a happy noise and came bounding over, tail wagging happily. Her enthusiasm made Emma tack something on as an afterthought.

"Just please don't shed or break something; David and Mary Margaret won't like that."

Ruby let out a soft woof akin to a laugh, which Emma took for an "I promise to behave," and followed Emma and Jolie up the stairs.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the woods, a witch and a pirate were also taking a night walk in the woods. Most people who knew these two together would think that they were up to no good, but not tonight.

No, tonight, they were just having a walk because that's what friends do. Yes, they may have spent way too long trying to kill each other, but the quest to Neverland and then all that time on the Jolly Roger had softened things up.

Their conversation veered way off course when they came upon a roadblock.

"Would you look at that." Said the witch to the pirate, clicking her tongue in disproval. "It looks like Maurice passed out, drunk again."

The pirate also adopted a look of disproval. "Is this an act he makes habit of?"

"Every once in awhile; waking him up will be most unpleasant."

"Shall I help?"

"Better you than me."

As the pirate advanced on the passed out florist, he became distracted by the second person, just four feet away, unconscious. His heart dropped in genuine fear at the sight of this injured woman. As he ran to her and sat on the ground, cradling her in the crook of his arm and caressing her cheek with his hand, his only thought was one of hope—hope that no more harm than being knocked unconscious had befallen the woman in his arms.

"Alina, I never thought I'd see you again." The pirate whispered to her. "Please wake up, love."

The witch skirted around the florist, deciding he could wait. What her friend had going on with her friend was far more interesting.

"So this is your Alina, huh?" she knelt down to get a closer look, finally having a face to put the stories. "She's the one who came before my mother and Milah?"

"Do not speak of them!"

"But that is the truth, is it not?"

"Alas, it is."

"What is she even doing here?"

"I have no clue. You enacted that bloody curse, not me."

The witch waved a hand of dismissal. "Never mind that. You know that she is still married that fool over there, correct?"

"That detail has not escaped my knowledge."

"Then as long as that remains true, things will not go the way you two wanted, like how they were in Neverland."

"Do not speak of things you know nothing about!"

"I only have the stories that you shared with me."

The pirate cursed softly and said nothing, so his friend kept going.

"Since you know the name that she goes by in Storybrooke and who she's married to, then surely you know who she looks like…"

"Belle." Came the terse reply.

"Belle, who, especially after healing from a gunshot wound that you inflicted upon her, will not take so kindly to the fact that you and her mother were lovers once."

"Are you quite finished?"

"I am."

"Terrific. Now help me get her to the hospital."

"What about the florist, though?"

"Right. I suppose he also needs taken care of because Belle would be most unhappy if she finds out that we left her father out here."

"Agreed, and we _will_ get them to the hospital, but first I want to hear you say her name."

"I already said it—Alina."

"That's the name she gave herself after her falling out with her kind. I want you to say her _actual _name, the one she had when she was with you."

In that moment, all time seemed to stand still and even the crickets were still, holding their breath so that they wouldn't miss the answer.

"Her name," said the pirate to the witch. "Is Tinkerbell."


	2. Full Swing

Belle was facing a true dilemma: her magic was returning.

The reason she had any magic in her veins to begin with was because of her lineage—her beloved mother was none other than the renegade pixie, Tinkerbell, meaning that Belle herself was half human, half pixie. She knew it was coming back because she'd been sneezing pixie dust since she woke up that morning, which meant that her mother was in Storybrooke, looking for her! You see, on the day that Tinkerbell had left Avonlea to seek refuge in the Enchanted Forest from her husband, she'd cast a spell, taking Belle's magic away ("For your own good, my sweet.") until she returned. Belle eventually learned to live without the magic and when she moved into Dark Castle, she didn't speak of her absent powers or her lineage to the Dark One, for fear that he might use the knowledge against her somehow.

The sneezing of the fairy dust was worrisome for her because it made her grasp another important thing—she was carrying Rumplestiltskin's child.

A common fact among pixies is that instead of experiencing morning sickness during pregnancy the way human women do, pixie women just sneeze a lot, instead. But with her being only half pixie, Belle supposed that it was her human half that was turning her sneezing into full-blown sneezing fits.

How was she going to explain all this to Rumplestiltskin?

Talk about easier said than done.

* * *

"Rumple, we need to talk."

Belle had flipped the sign on the front of the pawn shop door from 'open' to 'closed' the second she entered. This act had engaged her lover's attention immediately and he went willingly with her to the back room.

"Sweetheart, we talk all the time."

"No, I mean _really _talk." She remained standing while he sat on the bed and looked up at her. "The main thing I want to address is why I keep sn-sn—ACHOO!"

She let out a massive sneeze and accepted the handkerchief that Rumplestiltskin produced out of thin air for her. Four more sneezes shook her body before the fit subsided and she could stuff the cloth back in her pocket.

"Are you ill, dearie?"

Belle stumbled over her words. "Not per se. I, uh, I'm half pixie."

The look of surprise on Rumplestiltskin's face was genuine; he'd never expected to hear anything like this from his Belle.

"Excuse me?"

"I am half human, half pixie." The librarian clarified.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"It stayed in the family, and when we were at Dark Castle, I was worried that you would use the information against me if I told you because I figured out quickly that you're not a huge fan of my kind or even the fairies."

Rumplestiltskin didn't know what to say. "I… how… but I know your father, Belle. He's entirely human!"

"Who said anything about him being the magical one?"

"It was your mother…"

Belle nodded and sneezed twice. "I was twenty the last time I saw her, and she was leaving Avonlea for sanctuary in the Enchanted Forest because my father would beat her. If I hadn't already been engaged, I would've gone with her. Before maman left, she turned off my magic, if you will, because she was worried that something could happen to upset me."

"Just what can you do?"

Belle held out the palm of her hand and concentrated. In the next moment, a puff of pink smoke appeared and shaped itself into a mini pixie in a ballerina tutu. Blowing gently on it, Belle was able to make her creation levitate a few inches and turning cartwheels before dematerializing.

"That's just an example, but once things are working properly again, I'll be able to repeat that spell but make the figure solid and have it last longer."

"Impressive. Why didn't you use your powers to heal your gunshot wound or wake yourself up when Lacey was here?"

"Weren't you listening? Maman turned off my magic, so I couldn't have used anything if I didn't know I had it, could I? Lacey was aware of my magical capabilities, but she just didn't try hard enough to figure out how to reverse maman's magic."

"Who _is _your mother, anyhow?"

Belle surprised herself by answering without preamble. "Tinkerbell."

Rumplestiltskin blacked out momentarily. How was this even possible? Tinkerbell has had renegade status for centuries.

He was brought back to reality in an abrupt manner because by his girlfriend's latest sneezing fit. Clearly embarrassed, Belle rejected his attempts to comfort her, so all he could do was watch her ride it out.

"When did your parents even meet?"

She shrugged. "I never asked, but I know that maman has been around for at least four hundred years and stopped aging when she was the age that I am now."

"Why don't you have wings, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I would've inherited them from maman, but hers fell off after she was banished from Neverland, punishment for falling in love with a human. She never told me what happened following that period of time, although I did the math and realized that my father isn't the man she lost her wings for."

Rumplestiltskin mulled this information over, but grew more concerned about Belle's appearance.

"Dearie, are you sure you aren't ill?"

"Yeah, it's just my human half that's making the sneezing fits happen." Belle sighed wearily and sat next to him. "How much do you know about pixies?"

"Why?"

She chose her words carefully. "Rumple, I'm having sneezing fits in lieu of morning sickness."

For the second time in five minutes, Rumplestiltskin was shocked into silence but before he could formulate a proper answer, Belle's phone was ringing and she was answering it, her tone coming out in a snarl when she recognized the caller.

"What do you want, _pirate?"_

She listened, eyes widening as Hook spoke.

"Alright. Thank you."

She was quiet for a minute, processing what Hook had said to her.

"Apparently, my father's passed out again, but this time not only was he drunk, he was also knocked unconscious."

"Hook found him, then?"

"And so did Regina because they were out for a walk in the woods."

Rumplestiltskin shuddered. "I'll never get used to those two being friends."

"Nor I." Belle agreed. "My father isn't all that they found, though."

"They found Tinkerbell."

"They did, and I'm still trying to figure out what my parents were doing in the woods together, anyway."

"There's only one way to find out." He squeezed her hand gently. "Let me find my car keys."

* * *

When the pair arrived at the hospital, they were met in the lobby by Doctor Whale and Mother Superior.

"Wh-where are my parents?" Belle stuttered.

"Your father is in the general care ward, getting treatment for all of the alcohol he consumed. Would you like to see him?"

"Is his life in danger?"

"Not anymore, no."

"Then I'd rather not see him. Where is my mother?"

"In the intensive care room."

"What? Why?"

"She was in a physical fight of some sort with Moe, and now her body is reacting oddly to the medicine that we've been giving her; it's rejecting it."

Belle felt her stomach sink. "Is my mother awake?"

Doctor Whale shook his head. "She was when she was brought in, but she took one look at Moe and started screaming hysterically in French. We had to sedate Alina, and that's the only thing that's actually worked. Alina is heavily sedated as we speak."

"Alina?" echoed Belle.

"That's the name on her file."

Belle briefly wondered why her mother had a preexisting file, but let it go, asking a new question.

"Where are Hook and Regina now?"

"They are with Alina." supplied Mother Superior. "When last we saw them, the queen was watching the door while Hook was keeping a vigil at her bedside. Alina has also been repeating the name Jolie in her sleep, despite the sedation. Does that name mean anything to you?"

"No." Belle confessed, feeling oddly sad. "Please take us to her."

Upon entering Tinkerbell's room, Belle's first instinct was to run to the bed, but she couldn't get very far because Doctor Whale was holding her back.

"No, Belle! Look at her; something's wrong!"

A pink electric-like source was enveloping Tinkerbell's body, washing over her. Belle knew exactly what was going on. Her mother was trying to heal herself, but it wasn't working.

Sensing Belle's distress, Rumplestiltskin manipulated Whale's arms with magic so that Belle was able to break free. The next thing Belle knew, she was climbing into bed with Tinkerbell and she lay on her side, facing her. Tuning out the other four people in the room, she delved deep inside her soul, trying to tap into her own magic.

"Please, maman!" she whispered, sounding like a frightened child. "I'm here now; let me help!"

It took another moment of coaxing before Belle felt something like a gentle electric shock jolt her body, but that was exactly what she'd been waiting for because now the same electric-like current cocooning her mother's body was doing the same to her own.

Excited, but reminding herself to be patient, Belle touched her hand to her mother's heart and waited.

But still, the excitement remained.

Belle's magic was back in full swing.

* * *

At the Charmings' loft, Emma was now carrying a fully bathed and changed Jolie around on her hip. Because Emma didn't have any toddler sized clothes or diapers on hand, Jolie was dressed in one of Emma's oversized t-shirts and had another one duct taped around her little bottom, just in case. The bath had woken Jolie up a little more and she showed it by tightening her legs around Emma's waist every time she tried to sit down. Ruby, still a wolf, was watching almost lazily from her spot on the floor by the furnace.

"Come on!" Emma begged. "My arms are getting tired, so I have to put you down!"

"No." Jolie dug her knee into Emma's torso. "No."

"At least stop doing that with your knee."

Jolie's accent became thicker when she applied emphasis. _"Non!" _

"But there's a baby in my tummy, though."

A big smile crept over Jolie's face and she didn't say anything, but she relaxed her grip on Emma's waist.

"Thank you, sweetie." Emma kissed the top of the little girl's head, wondering fleetingly what Henry had been like at this age. "Now I just have to figure out how to explain you and Ruby to Henry, David and Mary Margaret…"

"Henny, 'Avi, Ma' Maggie?"

"That's really close! Great job!"

Jolie trilled happily but at that precise moment, the front door opened and the three aforementioned people entered, chattering happily with each other. They stopped short when they saw the little girl in Emma's arms.

"Something you want to tell us?" David joked.

"Everyone, this is Jolie." Emma enlightened them and then kissed the girl again, murmuring softly to her. "Can you say hi to my family?"

Suddenly feeling extremely shy, Jolie rested her head on Emma's shoulder and waved at them. Henry approached first.

"I always wanted a baby sister. She's cute."

Emma's heart clogged at her son's admission because unbeknownst to him, there was a fifty-fifty chance that he'd actually get his wish.

"Slow down, kid. Jolie already has parents."

"Then where did they go?"

"I'm honestly not sure."

She looked over at Mary Margaret, who hadn't said a word since she saw Jolie.

"Are you okay?"

Mary Margaret plastered on a smile that Emma didn't buy for a second. "I'm alright, Emma. How did Jolie get here? Show up at the door?"

"I hate clichés, but yes, and she was covered in twigs, leaves, dirt and poop—"

"Overshare!" Henry interjected.

"That'll be fun to clean up…" David muttered.

"I already did, as you can see, and I disposed of all the dirty things in the garbage shoot in the hallway." Emma reassured her father. "You'll all be surprised when I say _who _brought Jolie here, though."

"Who?" the chorused.

"Ruby."

Remembering that the wolf was there, Jolie slid out of Emma's arms and wrapped her own arms around Ruby's neck when she came to stand next to Emma, and buried her face in the thick warm fur. It went without question that the wolf and toddler were already developing a bond that was sure to last a lifetime.

"I don't know how, but Ruby and Jolie and brought her here."

"Is it just me," Henry said suddenly. "Or does Jolie look like Belle's mini carbon copy?"

He had a valid point—Jolie looked identical to what Belle must have looked like at age two.

"She does, kid. Is it possible that Belle has a daughter, or maybe even a sister?"

"Emma, this is Storybrooke." David quipped. "Anything, even a toddler and a werewolf being buddies, is possible."

Ruby was now curled up on the floor, with Jolie using her as a makeshift pillow. Both friends looked content.

"I can't argue with that logic." Emma dug her phone out of her pocket and began dialing. "I guess I'll call Belle now."

However, it wasn't Belle who answered. "This is Belle's phone."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Gold, why do you have your girlfriend's phone?"

"Because she's indisposed at the moment—"

His words were cut off by a "I am _not!_ You give me my phone this instant!" from Belle in the background, quickly followed by a muffled thud before Emma heard Belle's voice in her ear.

"Good evening, Emma."

"What was that thud just now?"

"Nothing to worry about." She said coolly.

"I need you to come over to my parents' place, pronto."

Belle hesitated. "It can't wait?"

Jolie was now making herself comfortable against Ruby and was being lulled to sleep by Mary Margaret, who had spread a blanket over her and was now sitting next to her, telling her a story and stroking her long brown curls.

"It actually can't. The sooner you get here, the better."

"Okay, Emma. We'll be there soon."

It wasn't until Emma was outing her phone back in her pocket that she'd realized what Belle had said.

_We._

Great—Gold was coming, too.

Can this night get any worse?


	3. Reunions

Belle wasn't too keen on leaving her mother and was confused about why Hook volunteered to stay at Tinkerbell's bedside, but when Doctor Whale assured her that her mother was now stable and that he and Mother Superior would keep an eye on Hook, Belle felt better and left with Rumplestiltskin and Regina in tow.

She had no idea what to expect when they arrived at the loft, it definitely didn't have anything to do with seeing Emma, David, Henry and Mary Margaret standing together by the kitchen island, eyes fixated on the furnace area in front of which, Ruby, as a wolf, was curled up protectively around a half-asleep toddler. Who looked eerily like Belle herself.

Jolie?

Ignoring the Charmings' protests at seeing Rumplestiltskin and Regina, Belle made the 'time out' position with her hands.

"What's going on?"

"Ruby showed up with an extra passenger in tow." Said Emma.

At this, Ruby let out a snort and if she'd been in human form, she'd be trying not to laugh.

"How'd they get inside?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Belle, but I called you because of the resemblance."

"What's her name?"

"Jolie, and she's about two."

Belle gasped softly, having remembered that this was the name her mother had said in her sleep.

"Jolie? That's Jolie?"

"Yeah. Do you know her?"

"Sort of. I think she's my sister."

There was a hushed silence as everyone digested this and then suddenly, chaos: Jolie had woken from her half-slumber with a terrified shriek, which immediately set Ruby on all fours, fur on end and snarling, ready to scare the living daylights out whatever was alarming her friend. A split second later, a huge ball of bright orange fire erupted from one of Jolie's palms and it was headed straight for everyone still in the kitchen. They dropped instinctively, but Regina quickly absorbed the attack and glowered at Rumplestiltskin.

"You made her do that!"

"What? How could I, dearie, and _why _would I give pyrotechnic abilities to a toddler?"

"Because it's you and you always find a way to cause trouble!"

"Well, this was not my doing, I assure you!"

Belle interrupted them. "Duck!"

Still worked up and clearly not in control of her own actions, Jolie was now careening through the air on her own accord and was a spiraling mess of pink smoke and giggles, headed straight for her sister. Belle caught her, but Jolie was upside down and trying to escape, wanting to do it again.

"No, no, Jolie." Belle told her. "No more."

"Me do fire?"

"Nope, no fireballs, either. If I set you on the floor, you have to keep both feet on the ground."

Jolie agreed grudgingly and when she straightened herself out, she studied Belle curiously.

"Bonjour, je me appelle Jolie."

Belle thought it was adorable to hear a foreign language coming from one so small, so she knelt down in front of her, happy that she knew the language, too.

"Bonjour, Jolie. Je me appelle Belle." She caressed Jolie's cheek and smiled at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yep! Magic?"

She produced a daisy crown and held it out to Belle, who waved a hand over it and made it shrink a few sizes. Laughing at Jolie's dumbfounded expression, Belle used magic to set the crown on her baby sister's head. Jolie finally burst into giggles, kissed Belle on the cheek and scampered over to Ruby. When Belle straightened up, she saw that all but Rumplestiltskin were watching her with varying looks of surprise.

"Since when can _you_ do magic?" Emma sputtered.

"Since her mother has been a renegade pixie." Regina answered smoothly.

"What?" David's eyes widened. "But there's only ever been one renegade pixie ever—Tinkerbell."

Nearby, Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why am I not surprised that Belle is Tinkerbell's daughter? Zero points for originality with naming…"

Henry frowned. "Tinkerbell isn't in my book, though."

"Well, she wouldn't be." Belle told the boy kindly. "She was banished from Neverland about four hundred years ago because she fell in love with a human. It's a really long story that I still don't know the whole of."

"But if your mom is Tinkerbell, doesn't that mean that you, Jolie and any kids you'll have are or will be at least half pixie?"

"Yes."

Henry grinned. "Cool!"

Satisfied, he went to see Jolie and Ruby.

That was when Belle realized that Mary Margaret was very quiet, so she made her way over to her, putting a hand on her elbow.

"You're sad about something. What is it?"

"When I first began my days as a bandit—before I met Charming—I met your mother, although I knew her as Alina. It was cold and raining, and I was injured after having slid down a slope. She found me and nursed me back to health before sending me on my way again. I owe her my life."

"Then I promise you that I'll bring you to her."

"What I want to know," Rumplestiltskin interpolated. "Is why the child connected with Ruby in the first place and why she isn't afraid of her."

"Ruby left her hood here earlier, before she went out, so all someone needs to is put it on her." Emma nodded towards the big red cloth draped over a nearby chair. "Preferably someone who doesn't get the heebie-jeebies about standing next to a wolf."

The blond was grateful when all eyes fell to the librarian, taking the attention away from herself because she was thinking about why Ruby had come to see her. Just today, Ruby had found out that she was pregnant with Doctor Whale's child, and they were both excited about it now because they'd been planning for this. Emma just happened to be the first person Ruby had told, and as it happened, Ruby had been the first person to know about Emma's condition.

Belle took the hood and approached her best friend. "Ruby, I know how much you enjoy being a wolf, but we need you to tell your side of the story for us."

Ruby nudged Jolie in Henry's direction before curling up and letting Belle spread the cloth over her. Jolie watched in fascination as her friend made the transformation from wolf back to human, and launched herself towards Ruby when she was sure that that was still her wolf. It was clear that Jolie felt safest with her.

Aware that people were waiting for her to speak, Ruby got to it.

"Honestly, there's not much to tell—I was out in the woods and I heard two people arguing ahead of me on the trail, but before I could go check it out, there was a puff of pink smoke and Jolie appeared in front of me, dazed and confused as anything."

"Why wasn't she afraid of you?" Belle echoed Rumplestiltskin's earlier question. "Most kids would be."

"Your sister isn't 'most kids,' is she? She's just like you, completely unafraid of what most people would be plenty scared of."

She had a point, Belle realized. Never on one occasion since finding out about Ruby's curse had she ever felt afraid when seeing Ruby as a wolf. Like Jolie, knowing she had a wolf that was willing to protect her at a moment's notice made her feel very safe.

"Then you brought her here?" Emma wanted to know. "Why not a hospital?"

"Something just doesn't feel right about going into a public establishment as an animal. You were my first thought because you're the sheriff and you and your parents have always been in business of protecting people."

David puffed up his chest proudly. "We always have been, and we always will be."

Mary Margaret worked her way in. "Be that as it, how did you two get in the building?"

Ruby shifted Jolie on her hip. "She magicked the door open, and now everything has wiped her out. Look."

Floral wreath slightly askew, Jolie had finally fallen asleep with her head resting on her protector's shoulder.

"Enough." Belle said suddenly with enough authority to make everyone jump. "Jolie needs to go back to Tinkerbell now. They've been apart for far too long tonight."

Fifteen minutes later, the family was back at the hospital with Belle, Ruby, Jolie, Emma and Mary Margaret going straight to Tinkerbell's room. Belle wasn't happy to see that Hook hadn't left yet, or that he was holding her mother's hand as she continued to sleep.

"Why are you still here and why the hell are you holding her hand?"

Just to spite Belle, the pirate kissed Tinkerbell's fingers. "Do you mean to say that she never told you, love?"

"Never told me what?"

"Cut the crap, Hook." Warned Emma. "Get to the point or get out."

Hook shrugged and gently laid Tinkerbell's arm at her side. "If that's the way you want it, then that's the way it shall be."

Without another word, he stood and left.

Pushing all other thoughts aside, Belle extracted the sleeping Jolie from Ruby's arms and placed her next to Tinkerbell, who didn't even stir. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Belle leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her mother's forehead and a bright light filled the room at the same time a gentle whoosh reverberated through the room, blowing Belle's long brown hair back for a second.

A split second later, Tinkerbell's eyes flew open and she sat up, gasping for air, but when she saw her oldest daughter crying with joy at the sight of her, she gave her a long overdue hug and when they pulled away, Tinkerbell ran both her hands over her daughter's face.

"Belle, my sweet, is that you?" she was breathless, hardly able to believe the sight in front of her. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, maman." Belle laughed through her tears. "I love you, and I've missed you so much."

"I love you forever and a day, and I've missed you even more. You're so grown up and so beautiful now." Her eyes lingered on Belle's midriff for a brief moment. "And you're a mother-to-be, as well! Congratulations!"

Belle was taken aback. "How did you—"

"Magic, my sweet." Tinkerbell winked playfully. "Did you find your sister and bring her to me?"

"Not exactly; respect is paid where it's due."

Ruby stepped forward. "It was me."

Tinkerbell beckoned Ruby over and gave her the same kind of hug that she'd given to Ruby.

"Thank you very much for protecting my Jolie. Thank you so much."

"You're quite welcome, Tinkerbell. After Belle stuck by my side and then stood up for me when everyone found out about what I am, I'd do anything for your family."

"I'm glad you're part of it now."

Those words put Ruby into a surprised silence, but she got up and made way for Emma.

"Ruby brought her to my place, and I cleaned her up and clothed her to the best of my ability." Emma shuffled her feet. "We found out the hard way that Jolie knows magic... she started throwing fireballs at us because she had been startled by a bad dream, and then she started levitating!"

"My apologies." Tinkerbell chuckled. "Was anyone or anything burned?"

Emma shook her head. "Madam Mayor absorbed the fireballs for us, no harm done."

"Good. Jolie has the oddest reflexes, just like Belle did at that age. In fact, there was this one time where—"

"No, maman!" Belle hissed in embarrassment. "This isn't story time and besides, there's one more person here who would really like to see you!"

She moved aside and when Tinkerbell locked eyes with Mary Margaret, she literally lit up and hugged her when Mary Margaret practically ran over.

"Hello, Snow! I've missed you!"

"And I, you." Mary Margaret was elated to see her old friend after so many years. "Were you ever able to find the sanctuary that you were seeking?"

"Yes, and it looks like you were able to find the happiness that you were looking for; good for you."

"I've never been so happy in my entire life!"

Belle and Emma looked on, watching the old friends reconnect, and all Belle could think about was the same thing that Mary Margaret had just said.

She'd never been so happy in her entire life.

* * *

Back at the inn, Mulan was happily dreaming in bed, dreaming of the day she'd be able to give happiness and so much more to the person curled up against her, in an even deeper sleep.

Aurora.

After the fall of Peter Pan and the deaths of Greg and Tamara, the princess had come to Mulan in need of a shoulder to cry on because during the last battle, Prince Phillip had broken Aurora's heart by admitting what they both already knew: after all the time apart thrust upon them by Aurora's curse, they'd grown apart and fallen out of love.

It had been Aurora who'd suggested they go separate ways to find True Love elsewhere and it had been Phillip who'd agreed, but they still didn't part on the best of terms.

It had also been Phillip who'd sustained fatal injuries in the battle and died in Aurora's arms before they were able to apologize.

While Mulan comforted her distraught friend, she'd accidentally let it slip to her that she had romantic feelings for the princess. Aurora responded by giving Mulan a peck on the cheek and told her that she felt the same way and that perhaps in time, in Storybrooke, they could test the waters out.

Eight weeks later, and they were sleeping comfortably together in the same bed every night.

Mulan was far from pleased to be woken up by a knock at the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she called out sleepily as she dragged herself out of bed and threw on a robe over her pajamas. "Just a moment!"

Who should be on the other side of the door, but Neal?

And a very distraught Neal, at that.

Mulan was all of a sudden more awake.

"Neal, you'd better have an extra good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night."

"It's about Emma."

Yep. Mulan was definitely awake now.

"Is she alright?"

"Look, can you and Aurora just meet me at Granny's in five minutes?"

Mulan eyed her friend warily.

"Hot chocolate's on me!"

The warrior caved immediately; she and Aurora loved that curious hot drink, especially with that thick creamy substance on top. What is it called? Whipped cream?

"Okay, but make it ten minutes. Aurora sleeps heavier than I do."

Neal just laughed nervously, mumbled something that sounded like "See you in a few minutes," and headed downstairs. Mulan headed to Aurora's half of the bed and shook her shoulder a few times.

"Rora, time to get up!"

"No!" she was face down in her pillow, swatting sleepily at the air. "Still dark!"

"Neal asked me for us to meet him at Granny's!"

"Five more minutes won't matter…"

Mulan suppressed a laugh as Aurora burrowed under the covers like a hibernating animal.

"You brought this on yourself."

In a swift move, Mulan yanked the comforter off the bed and then ducked as her companion threw a pillow in her direction.

"You owe me hot chocolate!"

"Don't worry." Mulan was still on the floor, just in case Aurora felt like throwing something else at her. "If we hurry, it'll still be piping hot when we get there, though why you like it at _that _temperature is beyond m—"

_WHAP!_

Aurora threw the other pillow at her.


	4. Their Paradise

Aurora was clearly the kind of person who moved at her own pace, especially after being woken up when it was not yet sunrise, but luckily for her, Mulan was very patient and even helped her a little bit. Unbeknownst to the princess, the warrior had been having visions of herself teaching a miniature version of Aurora how to fight with a sword. Mulan was keeping it to herself because she had no idea how they'd ever have a child… or if Aurora even wanted one.

They eventually made it to Granny's with Aurora in a dress, cardigan, tights and heels ensemble, while Mulan opted more for the Emma Swan look with a tank top, dark jeans, a jacket and combat boots. Unsurprisingly, Aurora was cranky, so in a typical move, she greeted Neal when they sat down with him but went straight for her drink.

It was Mulan who was more concerned.

"What's really going on?"

"It's about Emma… she told me something today and I reacted like a coward."

Mulan raised her eyebrows, ready kick Neal's ass on Emma's account if she didn't like what she was about to hear; ever since their first encounter in Neverland, she'd come to feel protectiveness of Emma and not just because she was the savior.

"What in the world did Emma tell you?"

Neal waited until Mulan had finished taking a sip of her drink. "She told me that I'm going to be a dad again."

Next to Mulan, Aurora nearly spat out her drink because she'd been more concentrated on trying to figure out how to tell them a secret that she was running out of time to keep quiet on.

"What's the matter?" Mulan asked, trying and failing to pry Aurora's hot chocolate from her.

"I was not expecting Neal to say anything of that sort."

Neal shrugged. "I realize now that I should've been better about it, but it _really _surprised me."

"Any news of that magnitude would." Mulan sympathized. "What did you do?"

"I said that I needed time to think, and explored the woods for a few hours."

"You just left Emma like that? Are you not excited that Henry is getting a new sibling?"

"I'm still trying to figure out my place in his life, in Emma's and in the town. I'm also still getting to know my son while figuring out how to provide for him like a good dad. How do I do that with another kid?"

"Henry practically worships you." observed Aurora. "I haven't had the joy of having a child of my own yet, but I still would have given anything for any kind of love or affection from my own parents when they were alive."

"What happened to you?" Neal wanted to know. "You can't not tell us now."

"At one point, I had a brother and even a sister. My brother was called Odin, and he was ten years older than me, but fell on the battlefields during the Ogre Wars shortly before my sixteenth birthday and I fell under Malificent's curse. The year before that, my mother gave birth to a daughter named Lilia, but she didn't even make it out of the birthing chamber because there were complications during the birth."

Aurora sighed sadly and traced a finger around the rim of her mug.

"If things had been different, both of my parents would have been happy with me and not eager to marry me off to someone twelve years my senior."

The princess busied herself with putting a few pepper flakes on top of her drink, as she claimed doing so brought out the flavor. Mulan by no means understood that, but who was she to judge? Her favorite thing was devoting time to the local pet shelter, caring for the furry occupants.

"Perhaps you should just take things one step at a time." she suggested to Neal. "Were you able to sort out your feelings about Emma's announcement yet?"

"I know for sure that I'm not upset. The fact that she told me about her condition this time around should mean that she isn't so resentful of me anymore."

By this point, Neal was in the middle of an epiphany.

"Before I fell through the void, the last thing she said was "I love you," and that also has to mean something, right?"

"Only if you love her back." Mulan countered. "What you two have is true."

"What do you know about true love?"

"Enough to know that if you truly believe in it, then it's going to be well worth the fight if you have to have one, but more than that—it'll be well worth the wait."

She waved a hand of dismissal because Aurora was the only one who ever truly got to see her vulnerability. Talking about true love was hard enough as it was because hers was almost always at her side every hour of the day.

"Neal, do you love Emma the way she loves you?"

"Very much."

Neal's back was to the door leading to the street, but from where Mulan sat, she had a perfect view that allowed her to see the very woman they were discussing enter the eating establishment, looking to get a late night snack. Aurora also saw her, and wondering what had his friends' attention, Neal turned to look, too. The second Emma locked eyes with him, she turned and bolted.

Neal turned back to Aurora and Mulan, unsure what to do and they yelled at him in unison.

"Go!"

It didn't take Neal long to catch up with Emma.

"Let go." She tried to free herself of his grip but he held on. "I said let go."

"Not until you listen to what I have to say."

"About how you can talk to Aurora and Mulan, but not me?" Emma's words came out in a growl, but she didn't move. "Neal, they're a pair of teenage girls, and you're a guy! Why not hang out with a _guy_ after midnight?"

"If August was still an adult, he'd be the last person I'd talk to because he thinks I'm an idiot, Gepetto is a nice old man, but we're not friends like that, Hook—maybe, and Archie is a shrink, anyway. It would be just weird if I talked to my dad, and there's no way in hell that I'm talking to yours about us."

Reason seemed to occur to Emma. "Yeah, that would be weird, even for me…"

"So that only leaves Mulan and Aurora, because they're my best friends and they helped me recover from my injury. Healing from a gunshot wound, even in a land with magic isn't as easy as it looks."

"What did you tell them about? The baby?"

Neal became sheepish, and when Emma put the pieces together, she stormed off again.

This was going to take awhile.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Doctor Whale had no objections about Belle staying with her family for a little longer, and they politely accepted an update on Maurice's current status, but when the doctor was out of sight, they moved on to the next biggest thing: Rumplestiltskin meeting Tinkerbell. Both wizard and pixie had never properly met, though they respected each other and knew of each other through reputation.

What Belle found incredibly endearing was that Rumplestiltskin turned out to be somewhat of a fanboy of Tinkerbell.

"Come on, you." she tugged on his arm. "Maman wants to meet you, too."

He dug his heels and cane into the floor. "But she's your _mother,_ Belle. What if she hates me on principle, just as your father does?"

"You'd be surprised—she is loads nicer than what her standing as a renegade says about her. She also knows about how I chose to go with you to Dark Castle, and has an opinion on it."

"What would that be?"

Belle's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Only way to find out is to go talk to her."  
"But what if she smites me?"

"And now you're just being silly. She won't smite someone she's admired for centuries."

Rumplestiltskin decided that this was reasonable and followed his girlfriend back to her mother's room. The pixie was propped up in bed, stroking Jolie's hair and looking a little sad and distant and for a brief second, Belle wondered if her mother was pregnant, but became distracted when she saw how happy her mother was to see them, especially the newcomer.

"Hello, Rumplestiltskin, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

When he failed to say anything, Belle gave him a gentle nudge and suddenly remembering that Tinkerbell was royalty, Rumplestiltskin hurriedly gave a half bow.

"Likewise, Queen Alina."

She laughed. "Do stand up. I haven't been queen of anything in about thirty years, and although this is the first day since the curse broke that I'm even here, I'd prefer being called by my given forename—Tinkerbell."

"Alright… Tinkerbell."

The wizard continued to be on edge because if the whispers he'd heard way back in their land were true, then that meant that Tinkerbell was as powerful as him and Regina both.

"I know all about you, Rumplestiltskin, because my husband 'informed' me that although you did save Avonlea, your asking price was taking Belle to be the 'caretaker' of your estate."

"That _is _how it happened…"

"That's a poor excuse for saying that you wanted a companion or just someone to love. Why not say that?"

"I had a reputation to uphold! If they had known that wooing Belle would be the eventual outcome, I would no longer generate a fearful presence!"

Belle giggled. "That would've been something to see!"

Tinkerbell narrowed her eyes dangerously at her daughter who immediately fell silent, remembering those glares from her childhood. Satisfied that they'd be interruption-free now, she continued her interrogation, but honestly, she was as amused as Belle was.

"Alright, that one we can let slide. Even though I like laying low, I still know the goings-on of Storybrooke, and what I'm trying to figure out if I want the answer to is what caused Belle to go dark three months ago that made Lacey come back again."

"I can expl—wait. What do you mean, 'again'?"

"Lacey only shows up to protect Belle when she's undergone a very traumatic event. It's getting Lacey to go back to sleep that's always been the tricky part because she ages at the same rate Belle does, meaning that she's that much wiser the next time."

Belle suddenly remembered the last two times she'd turned into that despicable woman and laid her head on her mother's shoulder, not saying a word.

"I heard plenty about Lacey during her last resurfacing, but I heard plenty about how she followed you around, riling up your dark side, so answer me this: do you love _Belle?" _

"More than anyone. She is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Will you always protect her?"

Deciding that this was not the best time to mention how he'd once pushed Belle out of the way of an oncoming car, he just nodded.

"I've never been able to imagine life without Belle at my side, so yes, and I'd do it without a second thought, even if it means risking my life."

Tinkerbell fell quiet, pondering the man, sizing him up.

"You aren't the beast Maurice talks about, after all." She finally decided. "You're so much more."

"I-I am?"

"You've had your moments, but you're still a good man, and because Belle has always been an excellent judge of character and saw the love and goodness in your heart first, then I have no doubts at all that you are her true love. Rumplestiltskin, you have my blessing to find your happy ending with Belle."

"Thank you so very much."

He moved closer to Belle, who still had her back turned to him.

"Sweetheart, are you going to be alright?"

She shrugged and eased herself up, kissing his cheek. "I don't really know, but I want to stay with my mother for a little bit longer."

"Alright."

"I'll find my own way home, so please don't worry about waiting up for me."

"Then I'll see you later, Belle. I love you."

"I love you, too."

When he was gone, Belle could no longer keep in the tears that she was holding in. Having anticipated this, Tinkerbell cradled her firstborn close.

"I'm so sorry, my sweet." She cooed. "I'm so sorry."

"Then why did you have to bring up Lacey, and that she's manifested twice as an adult?"

"Because Rumplestiltskin is your true love, plain as day, so he should know everything about you."

"I suppose…"

"Really, though—he should know about how Lacey lost her mind and reacted violently while I prepared to find sanctuary in the Enchanted Forest… and also about how she stayed for two months after Jessamy disappeared."

Belle's heart twisted into an infinite amount of knots at the mention of her missing daughter who vanished from their castle one evening without a trace.

"Please don't talk about Jessamy; it hurts too much." Belle absently began rubbing circles over her baby bump. "There is something that _I _need you to tell me right now."

"Oh?"

"Are you pregnant?"

Tinkerbell sighed wistfully. "I'd love that because I want Jolie to have a playmate, but no, I'm not. Where did that question come from?"

"When I came in with Rumple earlier, I noticed that you were sad."

"I was thinking about what could have been with Killian and I."

"Excuse me? You mean Killian, as in Captain Hook? What business did you have with him?"

"I met him when I was about three hundred, and we were companions for the next one hundred years, exploring Neverland with the crew of the Jolly Roger, and having a few 'wars' with Peter Pan and his Lost Boys before the High Council of Pixies decided to banish me from Neverland to Avonlea, where I eventually met and married your father. You arrived on the scene a little under a year later because he wanted an heir to the throne that badly."

"Do you regret having me?"

"Not one bit, Belle, and don't you ever think that I have. Leaving you behind was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Nothing tops it."

"Then did you _ever _love papa?"

"No."

Realization hit Belle hard. "Killian is the man you lost your wings for, isn't he? Was it worth it?"

"Yes, and it really was because I was free and happy."

"Then why go with papa?"

"That's another story for another time."

"Maman, did you know that Killian was here while you were still unconscious?"

"I knew he was here. I could feel him."

"Did he stay because he loves you? Do you love him?"

"That's exactly why he stayed, and yes I do love Killian because even back in Neverland, our hearts were bound together by our bond and it remains the same to this day. At one time, we seriously considered having children but never got around to it because we were naïve and thought that we'd have more time than we did since neither of us were aging anymore. After all this time, I continue to love him with my whole heart."

"He's the one that got away…"

"He is, but now I have a second chance."

This was all too much for Belle to take in, so she sat up again to get a proper look at the time and when she did, her eyes widened in surprise—it was three o'clock in the morning!

"I'm so tired," she stretched and yawned. "But I don't want to leave you and Jolie…"

"We'll be okay." Tinkerbell kissed her daughter's temple. "We'll be out of here later and come find you for a visit."

This idea sat well with Belle, so she hugged and kissed her mother and sister good night.

Once she was outside, a sudden thought struck her—since her magic was back, that meant that she could teleport again. Quickly ducking into an alleyway and making sure that she was alone, Belle concentrated hard on her destination and a fraction of a second later, she was at her beloved's house, in his bedroom.

Rumplestiltskin woke with a start and when he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and saw Belle, he was actually confused.

"How did you… did you _teleport?" _

Belle didn't answer because all of a sudden, she had a very strong desire to just ravage the man before her. In the back of her mind, she told herself that her pixie DNA was ramping up her pregnancy hormones, and without reading too much into it, she stripped until she was down to absolutely nothing.

Even in Rumplestiltskin's confused state, he would be a fool to deny that the sight of his Belle standing just five feet away, wearing not a stitch and bathed in moonlight made her an absolute vision.

When Belle turned to the side, Rumplestiltskin's heart started beating double because for the first time since finding out earlier, he saw the shape of her midsection housing their unborn child. Judging by size, she was further along than he'd thought, which meant that they made the child while Lacey had been with him. But that fact didn't matter now. All that did was that Belle was his and his alone, that they loved each other equally and that they were looking forward to adding onto their family.

But Belle was still naked before him, and it was causing Rumplestiltskin to go weak in the knees and stiff down south.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Belle crossed the room and was quickly in bed with him, straddling his lap with surprising ease and fluidity. Never breaking eye contact, she leaned forward with her breasts firmly pressed against his chest and smirked as she felt his body's reaction to her actions. She decided to be a tease and ignored his inquiries about what she was up to and instead rocked her hips to get him even more aroused. Somehow, Belle was able to reign herself in and plant a sizzling kiss on Rumplestiltskin's lips before whispering seductively into his ear.

"No words, Rumple. Just let me show you how much I love you. _Please." _

He nodded and lay there, gasping and moaning in pleasure as Belle took her time kissing and caressing every inch of his body. When it was over, he was just as naked as she was and they were both sweaty and hot, but also content.

And spooning as they slept.

Rumplestiltskin's hand remained supporting the underside of Belle's belly because they'd both fallen asleep fantasizing about the little life growing inside, both hopelessly in love with him or her.

Still asleep, Rumplestiltskin wrapped his good leg around Belle's thigh, pulling her closer to him. She was already dreaming of him, so she went willingly and moved closer to him.

Neither one had ever been so happy in their lives before.

This was their paradise.


	5. New Revelations

**Is there anyone out there? I know there's more than one reviewer… *pokes a stick in the air***

* * *

Mary Margaret was no fool; she knew exactly what was happening with her body because she'd experienced it before. She was pregnant and thrilled to pieces about it because this was something she and David had been trying very hard for for a few months now. The part that sent her over the moon was that not only was she pregnant, but she was also carrying fraternal twins, too. When Doctor Whale revealed that part to her and David, the prince was more elated than his wife. (It was a guy thing, he'd said, and they just left it at that)

She had realized she was pregnant while they were still away in Neverland, and was thankful that nothing went wrkng enough that would have led to a miscarriage. Her babies were both in perfect health and developing normally.

Today marked the twelfth week of pregnancy, meaning that Mary Margaret was having an increasingly hard time hiding her belly, and that she was officially in the 'safe zone,' meaning that they could finally tell Emma.

The only thing was that she was behaving like a sulking teenager and refusing to get up.

"Come on, Emma." David tried, leaning over and brushing his daughter's long blond locks out of her face. "You can't stay in here forever because it's a nice day outside!"

Two seconds later, a loud _WHOOSH! _sound was heard, immediately followed by the sound of pouring rain outside.

"Try again," Emma warned. "And try not to sound so lame."

"Emma, you could at least sit up." Mary Margaret scolded, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Your father's never really been good at making small talk when he's nervous."

This had Emma's interest immediately, and she sat up cross-legged, taking in David's anxious posture and Mary Margaret's determined expression.

"Okay, I'll bite—what's the matter with you two?"

"Well, first _I _want to know what kept you out so late, and why you've been crying. It's not like we didn't hear you."

Emma sighed theatrically. "Most of it, you'll find out from Belle, Ruby, Regina or Hook by the end of the day, but the rest of it is that Neal can still be a total butthead."

"That's not surprising." David muttered darkly, dodging punches from his wife and his daughter. "He _did_ send you to jail…"

"And I forgave him."

This left the other two astonished. "What?"

"I forgave him." Emma reiterated, raising her eyebrows. "I thought you two had something to tell me?"

Mary Margaret blew out a breath and moved a little closer. "Emma, honey, we by no means want you to feel replaced—whoa. What's going on?"

Emma could see where the conversation was going, but at the moment, her eyes were filling up with tears because those words had triggered a very sad memory from her foster care years.

"I-I'm sorry!" she apologized. "This is the way that my longest foster family began their conversation about how they were going to send me back because they were going to have a baby of their own! I was three!"

Mary Margaret and David were immediately cuddling and soothing Emma, convincing her and reassuring her that she was going to be okay. It took a few minutes, but Emma calmed and rested against her father, feeling safe in his big strong arms.

"You're okay, Emma." He promised, smiling as she sank closer to him. "That was all in the past, when you were a child."

"The pain still hurts like it was yesterday…"

"You're safe, baby girl. You're safe now. I'll protect you."

These words had Mary Margaret's heart doing jumping jack because when she'd been pregnant with Emma, she and David had spent many an hour talking to her, and every night, especially when they knew that the curse was looming, David would promise Emma that he would do whatever it took to protect her and mend her broken heart, if ever she had one.

Caressing Emma's cheek, she spoke. "Are you feeling better now?"

"I am."

"Good to hear."

"Is it true? I know I totally jumped the gun, and I'm sorry for that, too. Are you pregnant?"

"Yes, Emma! You're going to be a big sister!"

"This is the best news ever!"

That went way better than Mary Margaret had thought it would, so she moved on. "There's one more thing we need to tell you."

"Spill."

"I'm having twins!"

"Twins?" Emma parroted, looking from one parent to the other. _"Twins?" _

"You can say the word all you like," Mary Margaret placed one of Emma's hands over her taut belly, holding it down firmly. "But that doesn't change the fact that you've got two little brothers, two little sisters, or maybe even one of each growing in there, getting ready to meet you."

"I really hope it's one of each because then my brother can be my sister's bodyguard when I'm not around… and so they can be bodyguards and playmates to my kid when she comes."

It was so quiet that you could've heard a pin drop, but Emma soon found herself being hugged and congratulated by her parents. Her mother unintentionally brought it down a notch.

"Does Neal know?"

"He does, but said he needed time to think and I haven't seen him since. I don't even know if he's happy."

This got David a little riled up. "Where's my sword? Let me find him and then hunt him down so I can show him that _nobody _treats _my _daughter like that and gets away with it!"

"Thanks, but that's really not necessary. I definitely appreciate the thought."

"That punk broke your heart _again, _but this time I'm here to teach him a lesson!"

"And if you do that, Gold will come after you. Mom won't like that, and I'm pretty sure that Belle would just flip out."

David sobered up at the idea of an irate Belle. "You're probably right… do you know how far along you are?"

"Eight-and-a-half weeks."

"I think Storybrooke will be experiencing a baby boom this year…" mused Mary Margaret.

"Just because you and Emma are pregnant at the same time," David began. "That doesn't automatically make it a baby boom."

"But who else is pregnant?" Emma asked.

"Belle, and I'm beginning to suspect Ruby, and also Aurora or Mulan."

The thought of the warrior with a maternal side made Emma snicker. "For the sake of _that _kid, I hope it's Aurora because I can't imagine a pregnant Mulan."

Neither Mary Margaret nor David could top that, so they said nothing and that's when Emma's phone chimed at her, signaling a new text. They passed the device to her and stood up quickly when she read the message.

"I just got a text from Belle."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" David laughed.

"Not at all; we just don't talk often because she spends most of her time with Gold, at Granny's or in the library."

"You in the library actually looking at books wouldn't be such a bad thing." griped Mary Margaret. "What did Belle say?"

"She wants to have lunch with me, Henry and Neal at Granny's in less than thirty minutes! What the hell am I gonna wear?"

And with that, she became absorbed in her own world, forgetting that her parents were watching her.

* * *

Belle herself didn't make it to the diner until ten to noon because she'd spent most of the morning fretting about what she had to tell her family, and then she'd fretted more over what to wear.

At least she got to hang out with Jolie; she and Tinkerbell had found her an hour ago for a visit. Tinkerbell could see that both of her daughters were delighted to be with each other, so she'd agreed to let Belle babysit Jolie for a few hours. Anything for her daughters to get to know each other.

That's how Jolie came to be skipping along (as best a two-year-old could) at the side of her beloved big sister.

"Where sit?"

"I don't know, baby. How about you pick?"

Jolie lit up and jogged ahead to look for an empty booth. Belle followed behind, ignoring the comments and looks from the other occupants of the room as they tried to figure out who her mini-me was and where she'd come from. When the sisters were settled, Granny wandered over, handing Belle a menu and Jolie a coloring placemat and crayons.

"Who's this now?" Granny inquired.

"To make a long story short—my sister, Jolie."

"Sister, huh? Tinkerbell's finally come back?"

"Excuse me? You know my mother?"

"Yeah, I do." The old woman looked distant. "I'm off at eleven tonight. Come to the front room of the inn if you want the story, and I don't care if Gold comes with you, but make sure that Emma and Ruby come, too."

"Why them?"

"Your family goes back further than you think, child."

She suddenly came to her senses, as if deciding that she'd said enough.

"Are you meeting anyone else?"

"We're still waiting on Emma, Henry and Neal. They should be here soon."

Answering a summons from the kitchen, Granny left Belle and Jolie to their own devices and Jolie threw her arms around Belle. It was enough to melt Belle's heart.

"Having fun, Jojo?"

"Love you!"

Belle returned the hug. "I love you, too!"

Emma, Henry and Neal finally arrived a few minutes later, and when Jolie recognized Emma and Henry, she cheered and reached for Henry, wanting to sit with him. It surprised Henry, but he was more than happy to hold her and entertain her. When Jolie glanced over at Neal, she was reduced to giggles and quickly blew him a kiss before turning back to other things at hand.

"Okay, who's kid is that?" Neal asked. "Is she my sister? Is she yours?"

"No to both of those, but I can see how you'd think that. She my sister, Jolie."

Speaking of whom, she was now securely on Henry's lap, sweet-talking him into coloring, too.

Belle almost shared her news but didn't get a chance because Ruby came over, noticing that her friend was acting skittish. It was plain that she wanted to know what was going on, but she gave Belle's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Whatever it is you have to say, just say it. They're you're family, and I'm sure they'll support you."

"Thanks, Ruby."

The older woman grinned. "Any time, and I'll be right back with your orders."

"But we didn't even order yet." Henry looked away from Jolie, confused. "How do you know what we want?"

"Because I'm more observant than people give me credit for." She collected the menus from everybody, leaving Jolie with hers; the little one would probably scream bloody murder if it was taken from her. "I don't even know why Granny bothers giving these out to the regulars… I'll be back soon!"

When she left, Belle saw Neal, Emma and Henry, the latter of whom had raised eyebrows. "What do you want to tell me and my parents, Belle? Does it affect all of us?"

"Immensely."

"Are you and Grandpa finally getting married?"

Neal and Emma blanched at their son's phrasing, which caused Belle to laugh.

"I wish he'd ask me, but no, that isn't it. Actually, in about six months, I'm going to have a baby."

They reacted so quickly that Belle almost got whiplash. Neal became genuinely shocked into silence, Emma looked happy, and Henry just sat there, grinning from ear to ear. The only one who remained oblivious was Jolie, having abandoned her coloring page for the window to watch the raindrops cascade down it. Belle felt uneasy.

"Does anyone have anything to say?"

"First mom says that I'm going to be a big brother," Henry chirped, much to Emma's dismay. "Then I do the math and figure out that Jolie is my great-aunt, and to top it off, you're going to have a baby, too!"

None of that had occurred to Belle before, and it made her a little dizzy.

"Well, I'm happy." Emma spoke in total honesty. "I really am."

"Thanks, Emma. That means a lot."

The blond grinned and then shot a look at Neal. "Do _you_ have anything to say?"

He stood up, pulling at his shirt collar. "Air, I need air!"

Before anyone could stop him, he left the diner together. Emma stared after him, shaking her head.

"What a moron. I'll go find him."

She came around the table and kissed Belle's temple.

"Congrats, Belle, and welcome _officially_ to the family."

She also departed, leaving Belle with Henry and Jolie. It was at that moment that Ruby with the food.

"Where'd Emma and Neal go?"

"Out." Belle and Henry chimed in unison.

"Alright." Ruby shrugged. "Then here you go."

To Belle, she handed a burger, fries and ice tea, while Henry got a plate of spaghetti and meatballs with a chocolate milkshake in a tall frosted glass. Rounding it out was Jolie's plate of dinosaur chicken nuggets and a kid-sized cup of apple juice to go with it.

"Henny?" Jolie tapped Henry's elbow as Ruby walked away. "Henny?"

"Yes, Jolie?"

"Henny help me?"

"Sure!"

"Hooray!"

Belle watched as Henry studiously helped Jolie with her food, cooling it down so she wouldn't burn herself. To convey her thanks, she blew him a kiss.

Neither child sitting across from Belle had been born of her body, but she was beginning to love them all the same, as though they had been.

* * *

Moe French was upset.

After having assumed his wife dead in Avonlea for ages, she had passed by him in the supermarket, and with a little girl in tow!

Plus, there was the part where he'd come to in the hospital this morning to be informed that he was recovering from high intoxication levels.

But still, the resurfacing of Alina was causing flashbacks from before Moe had met his wife, back to when _she _had crossed his path and taken him to be with her.

Anita, Queen of the Werewolves.

There was also the matter of their daughter.

He needed to talk to someone. _Anyone. _

"Archie, are you busy?"

The red-haired man shook his head and indicated the empty barstool next to him. "Not at all."

Moe took the indicated chair. "Excellent. I need to talk."

"My office is across the street…"

"It's fine, right here. Your parents were carnival nomads in Our Land, correct?"

"Amongst other things, yes. I was born into that life."

"Where did you all go?"

"All over the place, and the further away, the better."

"Did you ever run into Anita, Queen of the Werewolves?"

"No, but we were chased away several times by members of her pack when we got too close to their territory for their liking because they were known for their strong dislike of humans."

"A few years before I met my wife, I met Anita and she took me to bed with her. Sometime around Belle's first birthday, I received a letter from Anita saying that I had a three-year-old daughter."

"Does your wife know about this?"

"Unfortunately, yeah."

"Did you ever meet your daughter?"

Moe shook his head. "Not while she was a child yet, and even then, it wouldn't have been good for my image as the king of a realm near financial ruin, if word got out that I had a child that didn't even make her home in my castle."

"Did your wife ask you to not meet your daughter?"

"No… in the letter, Anita forbid me from visiting or sending any financial aid, clothes or even toys to our daughter and any of the children in their pack. Even if I'd been given the opportunity, I wouldn't have gone."

"Why not?"

"Anita broke my heart just by keeping quiet that long."

The realization made Archie come to a screeching halt. "Wait a second—your daughter is here in Storybrooke, isn't she?"

Moe nodded this time. "That's correct."

Thanks to her senses being extra amped up due to her pregnancy, Ruby could hear everything in the diner, whether she wanted to hear them or not. At the end of the bar, where she was polishing beer glasses while wishing that her gestating child would be still, she was having trouble tuning out Archie and Moe, especially when they mentioned her late mother.

Then she heard Moe say _it. _

"My oldest daughter is Ruby Lucas."

Just like that, she dropped the glass that she'd been holding, not even registering the shattering noise it made when it hit the floor or the startled looks from the customers.

Ruby now had tunnel vision, and all she could see in her mind as she ran out the back door was the horrified look on Moe's face when he realized that she'd heard him. Every animalistic instinct was telling her to go back inside to severely injure him on principle, but she decided against it as new thoughts ran rampant through her head.

Moe is my father?

I could have ruled Avonlea?

Belle is my sister?

Why didn't Granny ever tell me that part of the story?

Does she even know?

But if I'd grown up in Moe's Castle, would I still have endured the trials that came along with being a werewolf?

Would I have known Granny?

Gods—would I have known _Snow? _

If I'd grown up in Avonlea, as one of _those_ royals, I would've had it all.

I also would've been able to grow up with Belle.

Oh, wow!

My best friend is my little sister!


	6. When Parents Talk

Eventually, Ruby found herself in the woods. She really should go find Viktor to tell him about all of these new revelations, but she needed some time to sit down and figure everything out.

The gentle flutters from her belly made her smile through her tears.

"We're going to be okay, baby." Ruby looked down at her bump and splayed a gloved hand over it, speaking in a soothing tone. "I just need some time to breathe."

A sudden _POOF!_ noise a few feet to the right made Ruby jump, but she relaxed when she saw a cloud of pink smoke fading away to reveal her sisters. Much to Ruby's amusement, Jolie had somehow managed to materialize upside down in Belle's arms. The little one thought it was hilarious, but Belle didn't.

"Jolie, one of these days, maman and I will have to teach you the correct way to teleport because—hey! No fire!"

Not really wanting to listen to a lecture, Jolie had hurled a fireball at Belle's feet, and Belle had to react quickly, counteracting the fire with a shield spell. Jolie pouted when her fireball fizzled out.

"Me like it…"

"I know, but—"

"WOOBY! WOOBY, WOOBY, WOOBY!"

Jolie had spotted her other big sister and became so excited that she accelerated full speed towards Ruby, who caught her and held her close, while ignoring Belle who was again scolding her about how she needed to be more careful. Just to spite Belle, Ruby decided to be the fun sister who would spoil Jolie rotten.

"Hi, sweet baby." Ruby cooed, kissing her hair. "I love you."

Jolie kissed Ruby back. "Love my Wooby!"

By now, Belle had caught up to Ruby and Jolie. She noticed that the toddler was the epitome of contentment, but that her friend remained upset. Suddenly, the waitress remembered the last place she'd seen the librarian and became apologetic.

"Oh, Belle! I didn't mean to ruin your lunch date with Emma, Henry and Neal!"

"It's alright, Ruby. Really." consoled Belle. "Emma had already left to go chase Neal when he bailed on us."

"Why? What did you tell them?"

"About my baby."

Ruby recalled how Tinkerbell had called out Belle's pregnancy when they'd come to bring Jolie back to her; she also felt a small thrill, realizing that Belle's baby was her niece or nephew.

"How'd that go?"

"Neal bailed, Emma congratulated me, and Henry was fit to burst with joy." Belle shrugged and sat on a nearby hollow log. "We'll work it out, but come sit. You're my best friend, and it makes me sad to see you sad."

Ruby's heart filled up with sisterly love at Belle's words and sat with her while Jolie sat on the ground on front of them, amusing herself.

"Belle, you know that my senses are supersonic these days, right?" Ruby began. "I can barely control it."

"You heard something in the diner, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did, and Belle… this changes everything."

The other woman laughed nervously. "What do you mean? Around here, words like that go far…"

Ruby told Belle everything that she'd overheard Moe telling Archie, and Belle sat there in shock. By the end of it, Belle was in tears.

"Y-you're my big sister?"

"That's right."

"We have the same father, but not the same mother."

"Two for two."

"And your mother seduced my father for some reason, even though she hated humans?"

"You got it."

"But we could've grown up together."

"I know." Ruby sighed and held her close. "You have no idea how much I wish that that could've happened."

Belle wiped her tears. "I always knew that you were special, but I never would've pictured this. I'm so glad that you're my sister, though."

"And I'm glad that you're mine."

At that moment, Jolie climbed up onto Ruby's lap and looked up at her with concern. "Why sad?"

"I'm actually happy, and so is Belle." (Jolie brightened, so Ruby kept going) "It turns out that you, me and Belle are sisters!"

Jolie began to glow in excitement, and she giggled, patting Ruby's and Belle's faces in turn.

"Sissies? Me sissies?"

"That's right."

Upon this confirmation, Jolie sent herself careening through the air. Naturally, Belle and Ruby went chasing after her.

* * *

Back at Moe French's flower shop, the man himself sat the front register, staring down at the official papers in front of him.

He was trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing in making this choice because he had to be honest with himself: he felt possessive of his wife only because they were still married, but their fight in the woods had caused him to realize that he didn't truly love her anymore. He wasn't even acquainted with Jolie, but he also knew that Ruby was probably going to give him the cold shoulder for awhile until she figured things out. And now that Belle hadn't spoken to him since he'd try to send her under the Town Line, he didn't have any family left.

That's why he was watching the ink dry on his divorce papers.

* * *

Secretly, Tinkerbell was glad that Belle had so readily agreed to babysit Jolie because things were getting way too real.

Yes, she'd laid low after coming over with the curse to keep Jolie safe and to maintain her freedom, but then when she found out that Belle hadn't been seen or heard from since before the curse hit, she fell to pieces. Remembering that Jolie was on the way had been her salvation.

Tinkerbell was overjoyed that Killian was back in the picture, but she didn't know what to say because she'd spent one hundred years loving before the punishment of banishment had so cruelly ripped them apart. How could she keep on loving him and want to be with him even though the consequences had been so severe last time?

Her beloved Killian was worth all the risk, all the heartache and all the love, even though she couldn't be with him while she continued to be married to a man she'd met by total chance one night on the outskirts of Avonlea.

So why the hell was she here, in his domain?

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here, Alina." chuckled Moe as he sat at the front counter. "I thought you'd take a page from Belle's book and swear off seeing me for the rest of your life. You managed to hide for almost thirty years before Her Majesty woke up because of Emma Swan."

"You leave Belle, Regina and Emma out of this, okay? I came here for me."

"This better not be about child support—"

"What did I _just _say?" Tinkerbell rolled her eyes. "I came here to tell you that I've never loved you, Maurice, not once."

The florist had been expecting something like this, but it still felt like a slap in the face. Twenty years they'd been together, although with the extra twenty-eight spent 'asleep' under the curse, it was closer to fifty now.

"I don't even know what to say to that."

"Do you remember how we met?"

"How could I not? An incredibly attractive woman on the palace front doorstep at night, seeking shelter from the cold and then telling me that she was actually a banished pixie from Neverland was far too interesting to pass up. Where in the name of the gods did you disappear to when you left Avonlea?"

"To the Enchanted Forest for sanctuary because the second that you started beating me for not being able to produce a son and then pushing Belle to marry a man she didn't even love, everything that you'd given me—the royal status, the palace, the clothes, the luxury—it all stopped being worth it. I'd even told you beforehand that there _are_ no male pixies or even fairies anymore."

"I'm so sorry for everything I ever did—"

"You're nearly half a century too late for apologies."

Moe scrutinized the pixie. "You've been in love with someone else this entire time, haven't you?"

"What business is it of yours?"

"Because you're still my wife, and I will not have you looking at another man like that."

"I choose my own fate!"

"Who is the other man?" Moe pressed.

Even if Tinkerbell held off on saying his name, Moe would still find out anyway.

"Just please don't hurt him."

"Tell me, Alina!"

"Killian." Tinkerbell confessed. "My heart belongs to Killian and nobody else."

Moe let out a hiss. "How could you love a man like him?"

"Because despite the things people say about Killian Jones, I know and I believe that he's a good man. If you gave him a chance, you'd see that he does have love in his heart."

"Love." Moe scoffed. "Hook only knows love when it's mixed with revenge."

"Excuse me?"

"Hook _shot_ Belle in cold blood as means of revenge against Rumplestiltskin for killing his lover Milah, who had been Rumplestiltskin's wife to begin with."

This hit Tinkerbell in a daze. "What the bloody hell…?"

"Belle paid a most unfair price for being caught in the middle of a feud older than she is—she lost her memories, _and _Lacey returned, showing a proclivity to dark magic and violence. I wonder who Lacey got that from, hmmm?"

Tinkerbell ignored that jab, already shamed by her past.

"Was Belle in the middle of the feud because of how she loves Rumplestiltskin? I know of his reputation, but just as I've seen in Killian, I have also seen the good in Rumplestiltskin."

Moe pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is it with you and Belle, trying to reform the rejects of society?"

"Just because Killian is a pirate and Rumplestiltskin is a wizard, that does not make them societal rejects. If that were the truth, I'd also be one of them because even to this day, I remain a pixie without a home realm. I'm a renegade, sure, but not a societal reject."

Tinkerbell was trying not to get too riled up because she wouldn't be responsible for what would happen if she gave into her violent tendencies.

"I believe that everybody has an equal chance at being good, and that we all deserve a second chance, even Killian and Rumplestiltskin, because people can change for the better, they can be rehabilitated, _if _they have that someone in their life who is willing to help them."

"First Belle preaches of redemption and rehabilitation, and now you… how is it that both of you were able to fall in love with evil beasts?"

That did it for Tinkerbell.

She waved a hand over a nearby potted begonia plant on the counter, causing it to burst into flames. It was ugly and smelled horrid, anyway.

While Moe fussed over the begonia, Tinkerbell noticed that he'd abandoned a stack of important-looking papers and magicked them over to herself so she could read them. What she didn't expect was for them to be signed divorce papers, awaiting only her signature.

"Did you really have to burn my begonia?" Moe asked, once he put out the fire. "I thought you'd be more mature than that, Alina."

Snapping her fingers, the pixie caused the ruined begonia and the rest of the potted plants on the front counter to vanish into oblivion.

"What was _that _for?"

"Because you know my real name, and only one person may call me Alina anymore. I will also not stand here and listen to you mock me and slander Belle's belief system, nor the one that I've lived by for _hundreds _of years. The things you've done and the words you've said to me are truly mean. How do you even live with yourself? You've completely driven Belle away, Ruby will no doubt figure out the truth about her lineage if she hasn't yet, and now you've pushed me away, too! Is this what you want? Also—I believe that evil isn't born. It's made."

There was a beat of silence and only because Moe didn't have a good comeback, he eyed the papers in Tinkerbell's hands. "I give up on why you're even here now, but it looks like you found the papers that I was about to give to you. Your arrival saves me a trip; I wouldn't even know where to look for you."

When Tinkerbell said nothing, Moe took advantage of the quiet.

"Perhaps you should go talk to your mother."

Tinkerbell's eyes flashed dangerously. "Who are you to suggest I talk to her? She's the reason I'm wingless!"

"No, you did that to yourself." (Annoyed, Tinkerbell upended a nearby bucket of roses) "In this town, there are only two other people sought out for counsel when they fell that Archie's advice won't do. If they're looking to achieve their goal in a risky or dishonest way, they go to the imp, but if they're looking to meet their goals honestly, they go to her. I know you and that you've always walked the fine, thin blue line between right and wrong."

Infuriated that Moe had that gall to even keep going on the subject, Tinkerbell snapped her fingers again.

In a single move, she'd upended every bucket of flowers and plants, and then teleported away, leaving behind a scroll with a brief note scrawled on it that Moe would find eventually.

_'At least it wasn't your truck.' _

Damn—it felt good to be bad again.


	7. Let The Healing Begin

Tinkerbell arrived at the fairies' convent with reluctance.

If she'd been born a fairy, she would've been a friend or protector to the Royal Family, and she would've stood for wisdom, goodness, love and light... just like her.

She could've been noble and honorable, but no - she was condemned to life as a pixie, living in constant fear of reverting far back enough to her old ways when she was at the side of Peter Pan and obsessed with trying to kill the blasted Wendy-Bird. The thing that she feared the most was accidentally waking Lacey up again because she'd take extreme delight in encouraging her mother's dark ways.

But no... because she was a pixie, the fairies would always look down on her.

Tinkerbell had felt damaged for her entire life.

* * *

"What are you doing here, pixie?"

A young-looking nun was eyeing her suspiciously, as if stopping to admire the flowers next to the convent as she was doing was a punishable crime.

"I'm looking for Mother Superior. Surely that isn't wrong."

The nun raised her eyebrows. "What do you want with her?"

"That is my business."

"Stay here." instructed the nun. "I will return shortly."

Tinkerbell sighed inwardly; had it not been for The Great Pixie-Fairy War during her childhood, this nun would be treating her as an equal.

"Now, now, Sister Polly, that is not a polite way to speak to anybody, is it?"  
As if appearing out of nowhere, Mother Superior came strolling up the path and stopped in front of Sister Polly, who remained unapologetic.

"But she's a pixie!"

"That's quite correct, but we're in Storybrooke now, and we must learn to treat every race with respect and kindness, no matter what history says. Now go finish your chores, please."

Looking properly chastised, Sister Polly scuttled off and Mother Superior turned to Tinkerbell, giving her arms a gentle squeeze.

"Hello, my sweet daughter."

Tinkerbell was taken aback. "Last time you saw me, I was being stripped of my wings and exiled."

"You know the rules, though," Mother Superior framed her daughter's face in her hands and softened up. "But here, we can start over because we've been away from each other for far too long."

"One hundred and twenty-eight years, five months, two days and three hours..."

"Y-You've been counting?"

Tinkerbell nodded. "I was very angry at you for what you did, even though you were just following the rules. I missed you the whole time I was away, but I couldn't exactly go back to you, could I?"

"Not really."

"Then the curse hit, and we were all sent here. The worst part is that I have remembered everything this whole time. Her Majesty must've been in a weird mood when she decided to bring me over."

"Where do you even live now?"

"In a quiet house on a quiet lane by the animal shelter. I've laid low because up until Emma broke the curse, you didn't remember who you were. I even had daughter two years ago."

Mother Superior brightened."I have a granddaughter?"

"She's your second, actually." Tinkerbell blushed when she realized that her own mother had never seen her pregnant at all. "My older daughter is actually Belle French."

"Well, that explains why she's always felt so familiar. Who is your other daughter?"

"Jolie. She's two, and she just loves to use magic. Her favorite thing to do is conjure fireballs and play 'catch' with me."

"That was also your favorite thing, as I recall." Mother Superior smiled fondly and then turned serious. "Tinkerbell, how is it that you remembered everything while we were all still under the curse? Have you seen the queen yet?"

"I have seen Regina, yes, and she didn't even try to attack me. She was just watching the door while Killian sat by my side in the hospital yesterday."

The fairy's knees buckled slightly. "You were in the hospital? Why?"

"It's a really long story, but what matters is that Regina didn't do anything because she knows that Killian would cause double harm to anyone who so much as looks at me the wrong way, but there are truly no words to describe the bond of love between he and I."

Tinkerbell sighed sadly and tears began to fall down her face.

"I took to avoiding my own husband because I was that terrified of reliving the memories I have of him, and up until yesterday, I thought that Belle was missing or dead. My heart has never been so fragile."

"Oh, my child..."

"I feel like I should talk to the queen to get her side of the story, and now that Killian is here, I feel nothing but longing and desire for him, even though I'm still married."

Mother Superior noticed Tinkerbell's documents. "What are those?"

"Divorce papers." the pixie fell to the ground and wept openly; she was finally feeling overwhelmed. "Maman, I'm scared and I need you."

Mother Superior sat next to her grown daughter and held her, soothing her and rocking her in her arms. It felt wonderful to be able to have Tinkerbell in her arms again, but at the same time, it broke her heart to see past the facade her daughter had always had and see her for who her own flesh and blood for who she really was - a scared and lost soul who needed some kind of anchor to keep her still in the storm.

* * *

After a lengthly search, Emma found Neal in the park, sitting on the play structure, staring into space. Since the sky was overcast and it looked like rain, the park was empty except for them and Emma was appreciative because she didn't want everyone to hear her family's dirty laundry. Neal saw her coming and made room for her, but didn't say anything when she sat next to him. Emma was appreciative of that, too.

"Look - I know you're less than thrilled that I'm pregnant, but what the hell was that with Belle back there? Whether you like it or not, she's our family now and all she wanted to do was share something happy with you, me and Henry. When you left, she looked like she wanted to cry."

Neal waited for her to finish speaking. "Emma, you learned about the fairy tales at some point when you were a kid, right?"

"Yeah, but so what?"

"Do remember the traditional story of Beauty And The Beast?"

"Very much; it's one of my two favorites."

"Then how old was Belle by the time she lifted the beast's curse?"

Emma thought for a minute. "Twenty, twenty-one, tops."

"Exactly. You're almost thirty now, and I'm only a little older than that, but Storybrooke Belle is practically a kid, and if we asked her, she'd probably tell us that she's twenty-one at the most. She's within ten years of Henry's age and even younger than us, and she's having my dad's kid! I know that our family is more than a little strange, but I just don't know how I feel about getting a sibling who's going to be more than thirty years younger than me..."

He had a point about how young Belle was, Emma realized, but it was ridiculous that he getting hung up over that aspect when there was the whole thing that she was the same age as her parents now. But then again, Emma was also going to be a big sibling for the first time to not only one baby, but two!

"Guess what, Neal? For once, I get where you're coming from, with the sibling thing."

"You do? Your mom is pregnant?"

"Yeah, and she's carrying twins. I feel weird about having siblings that will be decades apart from me in age, but I've decided to be the bigger person and be happy about it because if there's one thing I've learned, it's better late than never. Okay, so your mom died a long time ago, and you and Rumplestiltskin are mending your relationship, but Belle is here, too."

"But if Belle makes me call her 'mom'..."

Emma laughed. "She's a sweetie with a huge soft spot for her family, but something tells me that she won't make you do that. She'd probably like it more if you two could just be friends, instead of the grown son of the man that she's been hopelessly in love with for God only knows how long."

"Are you saying that I should go apologize to Belle for acting like an ass?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. It's up to you what to say to her, but you really need to step on it."

"Because I need to 'be a man,' and all that jazz?"

"That's right."

Neal fell quiet, thinking again. The silence made Emma antsy, but then she melted when Neal did a very surprising thing - he took one of Emma's hands in his own and kissed her fingers gently, not breaking eye contact. Emma was very surprised and let out a sigh of contentment which made Neal smile.

"Emma, I promise I will find Belle so I can apologize to her, too, but I want you to know first and foremost that I'm sorry for acting like a jerk about our baby. We will make this work, but you just have to bear with me because there are so many things I need to figure out. Will you bear with me? Will you wait?"

"Of course." Emma couldn't believe that this was happening; whatever Mulan and Aurora had said, it must've really stuck with him. "I love you so much, and somewhere in my heart, I always have."

"Even though I left you hung out to dry?"

"Even then. Call me a sap, but part of me always believed and hoped that if my parents didn't come back for me, that maybe I'd run into you again. True love waits."

"I never thought I'd hear you talk about true love like that." Neal shook his head and laughed. "It doesn't have to be today because I want you to take some time to sort things out for yourself, but I hope that you'll be able to forgive me. Although, there's one thing that I want you to know - I love you, too, and now, I could never stop."

"D-do you want to be together?" Emma asked shyly.

"More than anything, but not yet because it would be way too soon." Neal placed a hand over Emma's midriff in such a tender way that it made Emma's heart flip-flop. "There's no rush, and I'm sure that by the time the baby comes, he or she will just be able to know that they were born into a loving family."

Emma nodded. "Speaking of which, we're going to have to tell Henry. He's going to be excited because he mentioned in passing when we met Belle's little sister that he really wants a little sister, but we need to be mature and tell him because we're his parents, genetics and blood feuds be dammed."

"When do you want to tell him?"

"Worry about saying sorry to Belle first, and by now, your dad probably knows what happened, so you should avoid him until you see Belle." advised Emma.

"Come find me after that, and then we'll track our son down."

Neal was suddenly filled with confidence and hopped off the play structure. Emma watched in amusement as he straightened himself out like a cat, but then her stomach was once again doing somersaults (which the baby didn't appreciate) because before departing, Neal gave her a peck on the cheek.

Granted, it wasn't on the lips, but it was a start and that was what mattered the most.


	8. Blessings

Neal eventually found Belle in the library, shelving geography books.

It was clear that she saw him, but she was also choosing to ignore him. Jolie, meanwhile, was on the floor near her sister and leaning against a large stack of books, perusing through her own picture book. When she made eye contact with him, she scowled at him and then much to Neal's great surprise, the little girl waved her hands and a pile of books landed in front of him. It was meant to serve as a barrier, but it was only two feet high, so Neal stepped over it with ease.

"Come on, Jolie, just let me talk to Belle."

"Made sissy sad! No like!"

Jolie drew back her left arm, and Neal's eyes grew wide with alarm when he saw a _fireball_ forming in the little girl's palm. Belle intervened quickly, using her own magic to diffuse the fire. Neal was even more taken aback - since when could Belle do magic?

"Don't you dare, baby. We don't throw fireballs at people, especially around books because they can catch on fire."

"Neal's a meanie!"

"Not alw- Jolie Marie-Cécile! No fire!"

Surprisingly stubborn, she had prepped another fireball but became confused when Belle diffused it and replaced it with a new picture book. Deciding it wasn't worth it, Jolie leaned back against her stack of books and looked through her new book. Neal moved towards Belle, hoping that things were alright, but he stopped in his tracks when she scowled at him. She magicked the barrier on the floor so that it was in midair between her and Neal. Using telekinesis, she began shelving the books.

"Walking out on us at the diner was totally uncool. What was that about?"

"There's been a lot on my mind lately."

"Such as yours and Emma's impending bundle of joy?"

"Among other things. I haven't had this much on my plate since Emma and I were together the first time, and that was over a decade ago."

"Would one of those things be me being with Rumple, or that you're going to be a big brother?"

"Both…"

Belle set the books on her shelving cart and turned to face Neal. "I know a little about your childhood, from the things that your father has told me, like how Milah was absent, even when she was around."

"Yeah, I'm not even sure if she wanted me to begin with."

"She may not have, but _I_ do, Neal. I'll admit that it's going to be weird for me to have a stepson who is older than me, but I don't expect you to call me mother. I just want you to know that no matter what, I still want you and I'm so sorry that Milah never did because no child - no matter how old - should ever have to live with knowing that one of their parents didn't want them. I was hoping that if anything, you and I could at least be friends. Would you like that?"

Neal felt his heart overflowing with love towards the incredible woman in front of him and briefly wondered if this is what it felt like to have a mother.

"I really, really would." He regarded her for a minute. "How far along are you in your pregnancy?"

"Ten or eleven weeks would be my guess."

Neal whistled a low single note. "Still too early to know if it's a boy or a girl, though?"

"Yes, and I wouldn't be surprised if it starts using magic on me before it's born."

This earned Belle silence and raised eyebrows.

"You were going to find out eventually, although I'm sure that Jolie's fireballs and the levitating books were a huge tip-off."

"Were you a fairy back in our land, or something?"

"Not quite a fairy, and it's a long story, but I'm actually half pixie."

"I swear I belong to the most complicated family ever." Neal rubbed his temples. "So you're half human, half pixie?"

Belle nodded. "Jolie is, as well, and your sibling will be, too."

Neal had a one-track mind now. "But with you being half pixie and there only being one prominent pixie in fairytale lore, that must mean your mom is... _Tinkerbell?"_

"Also correct, and _her_ mum is Mother Superior."

"Now how does _that_ work? Mother Superior is a fairy, and the last time I checked, there's a difference between the two races."

"Thank you for acknowledging that; not everyone takes the time to." Belle absently caressed her belly. "It's way too long to explain, but all you need to know is that I am the daughter of a renegade pixie, and the granddaughter of a benevolent but powerful fairy who does not tolerate lies."

"Now this means that my family contains a handful of Royals - one of whom is a savior - a witch, a wizard, a werewolf adopted by one of the Royals, and now two pixies and a fairy!"

Belle grinned at his current state; she shouldn't have been amused, but it was nice to not be the newest one who was trying to figure all the connections out. Neal was doing just fine, although she'd wait for another day to tell him that she's one of the Royals he had listed.

"If I was able to make it through twenty-eight years of isolation and still find a place in our big family, then I know that you can, too."

"What if it takes time, Belle? I'm still trying figure out how I fit into Henry's life, and how I'm going to fit into the life of his little brother or sister."

"Then so be it, but hearing those words from you is a sign of progress, and I'm willing to be patient, Bae."

"You called me Bae..."

Belle blushed because as far as she knew, only Rumplestiltskin called him by that name.

"Sorry. I guess it slipped out."

"I don't mind. Honest." Neal changed the subject slightly. "You know, I've heard the stories about how much you and my dad love each other, and about all the things you've been through together. He lights up when he talks about you."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. The two of you belong together and you just make him so happy that I'm okay with you being around. I still won't call you mom, but you calling me Bae will come with the territory, I guess."

Belle held Neal's hands in her own and smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Neal returned the smile but looked around nervously. "How come dad hasn't shown up to smite me yet? Does he know what I did?"

"He does, but he's already come and gone. I made him promise not to harm you because I knew you'd come find me in your own time." Belle answered coolly. "Rumple is a good man, but he has a tendency to get overprotective when he session that someone has hurt me."

"Sounds like him. Jolie, too."

They both looked down at the little girl who had to decided to scowl again, so Neal squatted down in front of her.

"Hey, Jolie. What's up?"

"Say sorry-a sissy!"

Belle knelt down to join her. "You think that he needs to apologize?"

"Yes!"

Both sisters turned their gazes to him, waiting.

"Belle, I am so sorry for the way I acted at the diner. It was rude. Can you forgive me? Can we still be friends?"

"Of course, Neal."

"Thanks."

He turned to Jolie for her approval, but she was already standing up and holding out another new book to him.

"Read it?"

"Sure!"

Utterly delighted, Jolie lit up and was off like a shot, in search of a place for them to read. Neal was close behind.

Belle stood, watching them go.

She couldn't believe how that had all gone down so well, but she wasn't about to jinx it.

Instead, she was going to count her blessings.


	9. Unions And Divisions

Meanwhile, during a private meal with her mother, Tinkerbell grew calm enough to talk everything out and think things through before finally feeling confident enough to sign the divorce papers. Tinkerbell delivered them back to Moe, and just like that, their marriage was finally over.

The pixie didn't care, though. She was finally free to go to her True Love and be with him.

That's why she was now standing on the deck of the Jolly Roger.

* * *

"Killian? Are you here?"

Tinkerbell looked everywhere around the top deck, finding it deserted. She would be damned if he was back in town somewhere.

"Killian?"

The sound of a familiar pair of boots clunking up the stairs reached her ears, and she turned around to see him coming up from belowdecks.

"I'm right here, Alina. No need to sound so franti-"

His words were cut off when she ran right up to him and kissed him on the lips with such a seating passion that they almost fell back below. Fortunately, the pirate was able to keep them both steady, although the look of love and adoration was clear in his eyes when they pulled apart.

"What was that for, my love?" He moved her long chestnut curls out of her face and smiled at her. "Not that I'm complaining, or anything."

"Killian, I'm free from Maurice now. Forever."

He laughed in surprise. "How is this possible?"

"I will tell you the details later, but it finally means that after all these years, we can finally be together without fear of separation. That is, if you still want to..."

"Nothing could make me happier than to say yes."

He kissed her again and she dissolved into giggles.

"We can do everything that we never got around to the first time!"

"Forgive me, but I think that exploring is off the agenda because outside of the Storybrooke citizens, people of this world are not accustomed to seeing a very large pirate ship sailing freely in open waters," (after the recent Neverland expedition, Killian didn't feel the need to keep his vessel invisible anymore) "And I do _not_ want her to get shot at or sunk."

"Alright, but I wasn't talking about exploration."

"What, then?"

"Settling down and living out the rest of our days together. We were explorers for one hundred years and I think that between the two of us, we did quite enough to say that we had our fill, eh?"

"You've got a fair point, I'll give you that one. What are you suggesting?"

"What was the one thing that we never got to do? Besides marriage?"

"Having a child." Supporting Tinkerbell with one arm, he ran his free hand over his beloved's midriff. "That is one thing that I've always wanted over the years, but it wouldn't have felt right if it wasn't with you. Can you still... conceive?"

"Jolie is proof that even after four centuries, I'm still more than capable to carry as many more children that we desire to have."

"I don't know about all that, but I propose that we start with just one."

Tinkerbell tilted her head to the side, studying him. "You're thinking of Belle and Jolie, aren't you?"

"Indeed. Jolie is an innocent, but then there's Belle. She and I haven't exactly gotten along."

"I know all about how she got caught in the middle of that feud between you and Rumplestiltskin. I also know about how you shot her."

"Are you going to hold that against me?"

"I should, but I'm choosing not to because it's between you, her and Rumplestiltskin. I want to believe that being in Storybrooke means that we can all have a chance to start over, and put the past behind us."

"That's all I want. Shall we go down below?"

"Lead me."

And for the next hour or so - who was counting? - the two lovebirds were lost in their own world, happy that their souls could finally be as one again.

* * *

A few hours later, Ruby had finally decided to get hold of Viktor to tell him everything that had happened so far that day, including the newly discovered facts about her family roots. As they sat in Viktor's office, her on the desk with her legs hanging over and him in his chair, almost between her legs, it was clear that he was having second thoughts about something.

"What's on your mind?" Ruby asked gently.

"Either way we look at things, you're a Royal."

"That's true, but so what?"

"My family has always had longstanding issues with Royals of any kind, even before we got involved with Regina and the Mad Hatter."

Ruby almost rolled her eyes, knowing full well the history between the Frankensteins, Regina and even Jefferson.

"All of that was in another life, though. How could you hold something like that against me if I wasn't even in that realm? That doesn't seem very fair."

Viktor tried to backpedal. "I'm not holding it against you at all, Ruby. It's just a family thing."

"You're from a family of Nobles, and that's only a step down."

"True enough."

"Then what on earth happened back in your land for you to have a resentment towards Royals?"

"My father was a decorated war general and for his knowledge and services to the Royal Army, he became the king's personal advisor on those kinds of matters. I guess that somewhere along the way, the fame and fortune and power went to my father's head. He started doing all of these outlandish things, including having an affair with the queen."

Ruby winced; she hadn't been expecting anything like that. "Was he punished?"

"No, and somehow, the king decided to punish the queen instead by executing her. My mother became ill in the midst of all of this and passed away, but not before becoming disgusted that my father got off so easily and was able to keep his money and all the titles."

"And how was your father's relationship with the king after that?"

"Tarnished, and they never spoke again, but any other Royals that passed through our realm were warned that he was one to be wary of... which explains why he grew into such a bitter old man."

"What does Regina have to do with any of this?"

"By the time she showed up with Jefferson, seeking my help, I was at odds with my father because he thought that my ideas about science were ludicrous at best and he just couldn't stand that I hadn't followed in his footsteps or that I went broke funding my experiments. He was also aware of Regina and Jefferson. The realm hopper, he didn't care for because of Jefferson's reputation as a nuisance, but he just didn't like Regina on principle."

"So Jefferson just clouded the issue, but what was Regina doing? Stirring the pot?"

"More like egging me on. With all of that in mind, I'm just wondering why you never bothered tell me that you're a Royal."

Ruby grew defensive. "First of all, I couldn't have known that you had a resentment at all, and second, I spent the first twenty-three years of my life living with Granny as a commoner, and I was completely content, so how did I know what I was missing? I didn't even _meet_ my biological mother until about six months before the curse hit, and then I didn't even find out who my _father_ is until _today!_ Even at the end of it all, rank and titles haven't ever mattered to me because Regina, Emma, David, Snow and even Henry are all Royals, too, and so is my father's family, but that part should be obvious by now!"

Viktor was looking at Ruby in astonishment - he'd never seen her this mad before.

"I don't even want to know how it started, but there feuds between all of the Royal families and thus far, I've managed to stay out of the line of fire. The last thing I want is to get dragged in for no good reason, especially now that we've got a child on the way!"

Viktor fell silent again and this time, Ruby narrowed her eyes dangerously at him.

"Spit it out."

He glanced briefly the swell in Ruby's abdominal area and then back up at her.

Suddenly, Ruby realized what he was going to say.

"You don't want to the baby..."

"You hit the nail on the head with that one."

"But we planned for this, Viktor!" Ruby felt like she'd been sucker punched. "What are you doing?"

"I think that we were quick to go this far. We really rushed into it."

"I won't deny that, but I always felt that what we have was one of those things where we just knew that it was going to work, no matter how fast things went. I have always wanted to be a mom, but what are you thinking? That you're not father material?"

Viktor nodded. "I hardly interact with kids, and when I do, they're here and they're all kinds of hurt or ill... A little boy passed away this morning during my rounds and he had advanced cancer. He was his parents' only child, and now they have to bury him."

"That's incredibly sad and heartbreaking, but I saw during my appointment this morning that the little one inside me is perfectly healthy and is growing right on track."

"But that doesn't mean that he or she is completely immune to the sicknesses and horrors of the world. And what's going to happen when the baby turns and into a werewolf pup for the first time? What if the kid bites one of us? What then? Ruby, I still love you-"

"Bullshit!" She resisted the urge to slap him across the face but slid off the desk and backed up towards the door, putting as much distance between the two of them as quickly as possible. "Viktor, that is _not_ love. Either you accept me and this child for what we are, or we are done, and there will be no second chances. You knew going into things with me that I'm not quite human and that any children we had together will more than likely end up like me. Are you really going to be so selfish?"

When Viktor couldn't think of a good response, Ruby's eyes filled up with tears and her heart sank.

"I guess I have my answer, and I just knew that this was all too good to be true. Don't you dare come crawling back when I'm holding the baby in my arms - you lost your chance and now you're never going to get another one."

And for the second time in a day, Ruby's heart broke.

* * *

Back at the Charmings' loft, Mary Margaret could sense that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. David was out on patrol, Emma was out doing God knows what and last she knew, it was Regina's turn to have Henry for awhile, so she was alone. Even the twins were behaving, and not causing her so much nausea as they usually did, and yet, she just didn't know what was bothering her so much.

A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts and she got up from her bed to answer it. Of all people, she certainly wasn't expecting Ruby to be there, crying her eyes out and soaked to the bone from the newest rainfall outside. Mary Margaret let her inside immediately.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?"

"V-Viktor and I... w-we b-b-broke up!" She stuttered through her tears. "He d-doesn't even w-want the b-baby anymore!"

Mary Margaret hugged her friend close and whispered comforting things into her ear. Getting Ruby warmed up and into clean clothes could wait.

All that mattered for now was letting Ruby know that she and her baby were loved.


	10. Fireside Chats

At eleven o'clock that evening, Belle found herself going to the front room of Granny's Inn, but sans Rumplestiltskin because he had claimed that he needed to stay late at the shop to take inventory. She'd also returned Jolie to Tinkerbell, and she couldn't find Ruby, but at least she'd been able to locate Emma.

When they arrived, they found that Aurora and Mulan were settling in on the couch by the fireplace. Apparently, they'd heard about the gathering through the grapevine and it piqued their curiosity, plus they already lived at the inn, so they were bound to find out anyway. Mary Margaret was in the armchair next to the couch looking lost in thought, so Emma went to join her. Even Mother Superior was in attendance, although she was in her own armchair and focusing more on a pair of knitting needles floating in midair in front of her and tracking their progress on a nearly completed baby blanket. Other than Tinkerbell, for obvious reasons, the only one missing was Regina.

* * *

Just as Belle made herself comfortable on Aurora's other side, she felt something brush up against her knees, and when she looked down, she saw Ruby in her wolf appearance, looking up at her with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen.

Unable to resist her, Belle gave her a scratch behind the ears.

"Come on up here, Ruby. You look like you could use a friend."

Nudging her sister's hand in appreciation, Ruby clambered up onto the couch and curled up with her head in Belle's lap. Curious about what had Ruby in such a sad mood, Belle turned to Aurora.

"Do you know what's the matter with her?"

The princess shook her head. "I do not, but she's been like this for a few hours."

"Has she been alone?"

"She doesn't seem to want to be because she was with Mary Margaret during the downpour of rain earlier, but almost immediately after, she was out wandering with me in the woods, keeping me company."

Aurora didn't feel like mentioning that Ruby had kept her company and provided a listening ear while had decided on exactly how she was going to break the news to Mulan about her current condition.

"Well, that was nice of her."

"Yes. Ruby is a good friend."

The wolf wagged her tail appreciatively at the praise, and it was at that moment that Granny entered from the diner. Although she'd only invited a handful of the women in the room, she wasn't at all bothered by the influx of extra people.

The way she saw it, everyone in the room was in her inner circle or that of the Charmings' inner circle, so they all might as well learn the truth, too.

Everybody watched her sit down in one of the many armchairs by the fire and start on her own knitting project before she felt comfortable enough to begin.

"Well, I'm not surprised that so many of you showed up for this because we're all more or less family, and there are no secrets in this town. At one point in our village in the Enchanted Forest, there was a terrible frost that depleted our crops, pushing us almost to the brink of starvation. That was also when Tinkerbell came through, injured and on the run from Her Majesty."

Mulan furrowed her eyebrows. "But she's a pixie, though. Couldn't she have just used magic to heal herself?"

"Not in this case - she'd been shot dangerously close to the heart with an arrow."

"For what?" blurted Aurora. "I thought pixies were supposed to be good and true."

Mother Superior looked up from her blanket to add her two cents. "No, those would be the fairies, and I should know because I'm their queen. The pixies are different, but this is neither the time nor place to talk about that aspect. Although I not there, I learned from Granny a little while ago that Tinkerbell had to resort to thievery to get food for herself. It was just unfortunate that the there was a law in place at the time that stated stealing from the queen's private stores - like she had - meant automatic punishment by death, no exceptions. Rather than face that, my daughter chose to run."

"Wait a minute, back up." Emma interjected. "You're Tinkerbell's mom?"

"Which makes Mother Superior my grandmother." Belle added smugly. "Process that."

"I am so going to need to draw out a map when I get home…"

"I'll help." Mary Margaret volunteered.

Granny cleared her throat. "Back to the point - even though Tinkerbell was an outlaw, the whole village pitched in to hide her and nurse her back to health. In return, she saved our crops by making them harvestable again. The year after that, my wonderful but strange daughter Anita decided that she would rather embrace her wolf side and those ideals, rather than living as both a human and a werewolf. I tried to get her to stay, but she was ridiculously stubborn, so I had no choice but to let her go. Almost exactly a year later, King Maurice was passing through."

Belle shuddered at the mentioned of her father. "I hope this part goes quickly."

Aurora elbowed her. "Then shush and let her continue!"

Belle capitulated, so Granny kept going.

"We didn't think to much about it because we only let him to stop to rest his horses and then give him directions and then he was gone again. In the mean time, Anita fell off my radar for ages until Tinkerbell came for a visit again to tell me that Anita was with child but not feeling too much attachment."

If it was possible, Ruby felt her heart sink even lower. Belle sensed her sadness and ran her fingers through the wolf's fur and little did she know, it was the only thing keeping Ruby grounded.

"I asked Anita to let me raise Ruby for her since she didn't want her, but she turned me down and it wasn't until another three years had gone by that I met Ruby when she was abandoned by her mother in our village."

Belle raised a hand. "Isn't there some point where I enter this whole thing?"

"Yes. Around the time Ruby arrived, Tinkerbell had caught the eye of the king and married him, although under another name - Alina. She was also celebrating the birth of her newborn, and that was you. What's the matter?"

Belle had been biting her lip, turning a question over in her mind and it was making her tense. "If you knew of this, the entire time, then why on earth did I have to wait until we were _here_ to even _learn_ about my sister?"

"I suggested the two of you meeting, but Anita wouldn't hear of it."

"Fine, but did my parents know any of this at the time?"

"Oh yes, but he'd been given explicit instructions to stay away from the whole pack. Your mother was also told to stay away because it wasn't 'any of her concern.' She out up more of a fight, though."

"Did my mum know about her?"

Granny nodded. "She did, but she never got near her."

"If only..."

Belle turned to Mother Superior who had finished the blanket she had been making and was now watching the scene very calmly.

"And you are the queen of the fairies, Blue! My mum - your own flesh and blood - was in agony, and I had to grow up watching her be afraid to love me all the way because my father was obsessed with marrying me off, and that was only because I wasn't born a boy! Why didn't you save us? If the fairies are the ones that are supposed to be good and true, why not come for us? You could have!"

"My sweet child, your mother was in exile from Neverland as a punishment for falling in love with a _human. _I love your mother because she's my daughter, but there were laws in place that strictly forbade me from going after her."

"And as queen, it was your obligation to honor them, huh?"

Mother Superior nodded. "Until your mother found me here and told me her story, I had absolutely no idea what you two had gone through, and that wrecks me. If I'd been able, I would've done everything to bring you both back home and if it had been asked, I would've brought Ruby, too."

"Bloody hell - mum had to run away from home and leave me behind. If not for my engagement to Gaston, I would have also gone, but I bound by that and because I was next in line to rule Avonlea." Belle crossed her arms and scowled. _"Lacey_ came back twice before mum left, and the second time, she almost killed mum in a fit of rage, and I know you ran into Lacey because I remember what she did when she was here. Maybe her acrimony was payback for all of the things you let us go through!"

"Do not pin this on me!"

"Then maybe I should wake Lacey up and see what she says!"

Mother Superior shut down immediately, actually afraid of her granddaughter's flamboyant but dark and unhinged split personality. Ruby, meanwhile, was ready to pounce at a moment's notice if things go ugly, but she was torn about who to protect. Mulan was also apprehensive - and wondering who this Lacey was - but she wasn't getting on any particular side because her loyalty first and foremost to Aurora. Granny was almost wishing that she had her crossbow on hand, although she knew it would be no match against the two magical beings in front of her. Emma and Mary Margaret were watching the whole thing in fascination, although from a safe distance.

That left Aurora, who was literally in the middle of the silent stand-off. She distracted everyone the only way she knew how.

"I'm pregnant."

Everybody turned to her in surprise, although it left Mulan sputtering a little.

"E-excuse me, Rora? When were you planning on telling me this?"

"The second I'd found my c-Mulan, come back! Don't be like that! I love you!"

The warrior had risen to her feet and was walking towards the door because she needed fresh air, but she nearly stumbled at her princess' abrupt confession; she knew it wouldn't have been spoken if there wasn't any truth behind it. Aurora was on her feet in the blink of an eye, chasing after her and she left a stunned silence in her wake. Emma started to go after them, but Mother Superior got up first, insisting that she would do it.

Before leaving, the nun kissed Belle on the forehead in a soft, motherly way and placed the new blanket in Belle's lap.

"No matter what you want to say, believe or even threaten to do, I'm still going to love you, your mother and Ruby and Jolie. The blanket is for your little one."

Belle's eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed, and she lifted the soft fabric to her face, inhaling the faint lavender scent and imagining her baby newborn baby swaddled up in it. She was also drifting back down a rabbit hole she didn't want to go down, and when she came back to reality, she looked around the room to see that she and Ruby were the only ones left.

"I don't want to go home." She told her sister. "May I stay with you tonight? Please?"

Ruby gave a nod and then motioned with her head toward the stairs. When she and Belle were settled in her room for the night, fifteen minutes later, neither of them were anywhere close to sleeping.

They were both wide awake and grateful for each other's company, but both silent and once more pondering what it would've been like if they'd gotten to grow up together.

How things could've been.

How things _should've_ been.


End file.
